The Hyatt Cup

1 November 2010

Passionate …

When it comes to passion and wine, there is John Jens and then there is everyone else. John’s belief that Western Australia produces Australia’s best cabernet based wines is well documented. John’s support of the industry is quite selfless.

The Hyatt Cup is a classic example. In an effort to highlight the quality of WA wines, John teamed up with the Hyatt to arrange a tasting of 16 of the best Cabernets from Margaret River and the Great Southern to see if one region was clearly superior. The results were spectacular. 20 glasses of wine pre-poured in front of each of the 65 guests. The first eight were from the 2004/2005 vintages and the last twelve from the 2008 vintage.

2004 was a very good year in the Great Southern, and 2005 was very good for Margaret River. 2008 was an excellent Margaret River Vintage. Rob Mann from Cape Mentelle describes the wines as having a clarity of fruit and vibrancy. John Durham (winemaker at Plantaganet) felt southern Margaret River showed better than northern in 2008, whilst the Great Southern was probably better for shiraz than cabernet that year due to the coolness of the vintage.

So which was better? The wines from the Great Southern showed a generosity of fruit that made them more seductive, whilst the Margaret River wines tended to have more structure. When it came to preferences, the room was evenly split. My picks included the Hardy’s, Woodlands, Vasse Felix and 2004 Jack Mann. In reality, most of the wines here were superb, and worthy of inclusion in this fascinating exercise.

So a big thanks to John for putting together an amazing showcase of WA wines. All of this from a Collingwood supporter who hails from Victoria!

Thanks should also go to the Hyatt for their generous support of the event.

Reviewed (in order tasted)

Parker Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – Terra Rossa – 2004 (17.5). Some mint to the cherry and red fruits on the nose. Dusty cabernet fruit with the first signs of development. Really opens up to show blackcurrant fruit. Leather and spice to open, and gentle red fruits. The tannins are still firm and hold the finish together really well. Good drinking

Forest Hill – Cabernet Sauvignon – Block 5 – 2004 (18.4). Really perfumed nose with redcurrant, cherries and violets. Lovely red fruits on a palate displaying ripe and succulent fruit. Very good fruit quality. Elegant and refined, this has excellent length. A touch of mortein to close adds interest. Classy

Cullen – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Diana Madelaine – 2005 (18.2). Fresher than some in this bracket. Dense and structured, this is a powerful wine. Cooler fruit characters with eucalypt and spice. The palate is firm and tight, with the oak and grippy tannins still dominating the finish. This really needs 5 -10 years to show its best (screw cap).

Balnaves – Cabernet Sauvignon – The Tally – 2004 (17.7). Menthol and some sour cherry/satsuma plum notes to open. Develops lovely perfumed fruit. The palate is dense and the fruit plump and really juicy. Lovely ripe fruit dominates the palate, and the tannins are incredibly fine though a touch chewy. Fruit falls away a touch in the mid palate. Rob Mann described it as having classic Coonawara Choc-Mint.

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec – Jack Mann – 2004 (18.5). More complex and intriguing nose. Cedar and blackcurrant/dark fruits to the fore. Firm, textured, tight and closed. This has all the hall marks of a great wine, though it needs many years to fully develop.

Hardy’s – Cabernet Sauvignon – Thomas Hardy – 2004 (18.6). Cooler fruit characters to this, with some capsicum and menthol. This has quality fruit and real density. The wine-making is excellent, and the length and depth of flavours are fantastic. Chewy fruit and excellent mouth-feel point to a star. The style may polarise. 100% Margaret River cabernet from a single vineyard.

Howard Park – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2005 (18). Classic cabernet fruit here. Pretty, elegant, refined and classy. This has dark fruits and chewy tannins. The grip on the finish is in danger of overwhelming the fruit, but the wine manages to stay in balance. A structured wine of distinction.

Mosswood – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2005 (18.4). Quite developed nose with some earth and leathery fruit notes. Lovely fruit on the palate including redcurrant. Very long and quite seamless, this is probably the best drinking wine here. The very fine tannins are deceptive, as they add important structure to the wine but you hardly notice them.

Higher Plane – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (18). Much fresher and very dense. There is a touch of chocolate amongst the fruit. The palate is really inky and dense yet there is a purity of fruit. Very powerful and structured, there is more of the chocolate fruit on the palate. Quite textured, there is little of the mint I was expecting. Excellent length and structure.

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon – C.W. Ferguson – 2008 (18.5). Pretty fruit. Lifted violets and redcurrant with some cedar and a touch of ribena. Wow. Superb fruit here. Ripe, fine, elegant, textured, but full of latent power. The pretty fruit dominates the palate, but make no mistake, this is a powerful wine with incredible length and depth to the palate.

Cherubino – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (18.2). More of the capsicum/cedar fruit here, again suggesting a cooler vintage in Margaret River. Dense and textured, this is just a baby. The palate is powerful and very long. There are cooler fruit characters to the very fine finish. The style will polarise, but a fine wine. Herbal notes with cumin and spice on a powerful finish.

Plantaganet – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (18). More of the chocolate density here. This wine initially lacks fruit, but it really builds in the mouth and very fine tannins caress the tongue on the finish.

Cape Mentelle – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (18.5). Wow. Lifted ripe red fruits with a touch of vanillin oak. The palate is dense and powerful, with grippy tannins to close. A big and powerful wine, this is a bit of a sleeping giant. Excellent fruit quality but needs many years to come around.

Majella – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (17.5). Pretty wine with cassis and cedar overtones. There is a touch of insecticide, and a lovely sour plum nose. There is a riot of flavours here. Ribena/cassis mint, menthol and cherry. Lovely souring acid really adds to the finish. The tannins are firm yet fine and the length is excellent. The balance was questioned by one member of the panel.

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec – Jack Mann – 2008 (17.8). Lifted and seductive nose. The palate is more about structure, with red fruit overtones. Lacks the generosity of others here, but this will improve with time.

Vasse Felix – Cabernet Sauvignon – Heytesbury – 2008 (18.5). Complex, dense, ripe and structured, this is a wine of class. Powerful, this has masses of dark fruits. Yes there are some blackcurrant notes, but plums, cedar, mocha and spice are the dominant flavours right now. Very powerful, this has a long future.

Cullen – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Diana Madelaine – 2008 (18.5). Cedar and spice to open. Much leaner style, there is souring fruit and a touch of plum too. This is a wine that is easy to underestimate due to the subtlety and delicate fruit. Opens to show pristine fruit. For the purists.

Balnaves – Cabernet Sauvignon – The Tally – 2008 (18.2). More of the minty cabernet fruit notes on the nose, with cedar, cinnamon and a touch of clove. The palate shows ripe fruits, but again there is a coolness (menthol and mint) running through the palate. Excellent length and structure, this is a fine wine, though the style may polarise.

Howard Park – Cabernet Sauvignon – Abercrombie – 2008 (18.3). Dense. Some mint and eucalypt on the nose. The palate is dense and structured. There is a generosity to the fruit characters that make this instantly enjoyable. Length and texture are superb. Slightly chewy tannins to close guarantee a long future.

Woodlands – Cabernet Sauvignon – Shellie Anne – 2008 (18.5). A touch of insecticide and lots of Margaret River mint and eucalyptus characters. A lovely wine of real class and distinction. Superb length and mouth-feel. Very long and structured, this is a very fine and elegant wine.

18 October 2010

In the lead-up to this weeks Margaret River versus Great Southern at the Hyatt, John Jens asked the panel to look at a few of the wines that he was considering including in the line up.

To make things more interesting, I included a few of the samples that had arrived in the last few weeks. This proved to be a masterstroke, as there were a couple of real surprises.

The Deepwoods Reserve and the Flametree Reserve were both outstanding. It was less surprising that wine like the Heytesbury showed so well. It is important to point out that there are no bad wines here and personal preference has an important role to play.

Reviewed

Deepwoods – Cabernet Sauvignon– Reserve – 2008 (18.6). Another lovely nose, with pretty fruits and a touch of oak in the background. The palate is restrained, yet the fruit is perfectly ripe and the balance superb. The length is a highlight as is the mouth-feel and texture. A rare wine! This wine was the best drinking of all the wines on tasting. Whilst the wine will probably age well, I would drink it over the next five years while waiting for the Heytesbury and Flametree.

Vasse Felix – Cabernet Sauvignon – Heytesbury – 2008 (18.5+). In a word…pretty. A wine of real power and distinction. There are herbal notes and even a touch of cut grass and black fruits on the nose, and cedary oak adds complexity. Very dense palate, the quality of the fruit is outstanding. The palate is seamless, yet dense and powerful. Despite all this, the wine manages to show restraint. Outstanding length is a real feature as are the finest of tannins. A superstar in the making.

Flametree – Cabernet Sauvignon – Reserve – 2008 (18.5). Unfortunately, my tasting notes for this wine were lost, but the structure was the highlight here. The fruit was dense and inky, and the length of flavours was impressive. The fine tannins made their presence felt, but there is no doubt that the quality fruit will shine through over the next 10 years.

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon – Jack Mann – 2005 (18). Mortien (a good thing), cool fruit notes, mint, eucalypt and vanillin oak. The fruit is ripe with red fruits to the fore, yet the palate is assertive, structured and tight. Needs 10 years to start to show its best. (This wine was never commercially released. The wine tasted here was a sample courtesy of the winery).

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec – Crofters – 2005 (18). Leather and spice over blackcurrant and violets. Powerful, restrained and quite seamless, this is full of latent power. Iron fist in a velvet glove. The length is superb and the flavours evolve. Textural treat, this remains balanced.

Leeuwin Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – Art Series – 2005 (18). Minty and dusty, but an attractive nose. Ripe berry notes combined with chocolate/mocha fruit. Plush mouth-feel and texture. Very silky, the tannins are a highlight. There is a touch of eucalypt and herbs too.

Woodside Valley Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – Baudin – 2008 (18). Classic nose. Eucalypt, cedar and minty notes on the nose. The palate is powerful, with red fruits and plenty of blackcurrant. The length is excellent, though the palate is a little disjointed at present. Some cherry and spice too. Very young, there is real potential.

Ferngrove – Cabernet Sauvignon – Majestic – 2005 (17.8). Developed nose with raspberry, redcurrant, plum and cedary overtones. Spectacularly dense and powerful, this is complex, very textured and rich. The mouth-feel and texture are excellent. This is good short term drinking. (Points were a little split on this wine).

Clairault – Cabernet Sauvignon – Estate – 2007 (17.5+). Dense and quite lovely nose. Cooler fruit, showing mint, eucalypt and red fruits. Very pretty palate, this is forward and floral. The finish is quite astringent yet the tannins are very fine. Persistent, this will flesh out in the mid palate and score higher points in the future.

Hardys – Cabernet Sauvignon – Limited Cellar Release – 2005 (17.5). Very pretty, even floral nose with rose and violets. Colour developing. A more angular wine than some here, all components are in place but this will integrate with another couple of years. (An amazing bargain at $10-$15 from Vintage Cellars).

Forrest Hill – Cabernet Sauvignon – Block 5 – 2004 (17.5). Again, a touch more developed reflecting the vintage. Menthol, cedar, and cinnamon quill on the nose. Round and soft fruit initially on the palate, there is still plenty tannic grip. Well balanced and needing a couple more years to show its best.

Howard Park – Cabernet Sauvignon– Scottsdale – 2005 (17.5). Lovely nose that is classy and silky. Seductive really, with cedar and spice. The palate is firm and chewy. The tannins remain firm and grippy. There is still plenty of fruit, but this will remain structured through its life. Good drinking all the same.

Howard Park – Cabernet Sauvignon – Abercrombie – 2008 (17.5+). A very hard wine to review. Like the 2008 Cullen Diana Madeleine (reviewed previously) this is an incredibly fine wine. The palate is reserved and tight, yet the tannins are so silky and fine that it is easy to underestimate the quality here. After 4 days on the tasting bench, the pretty red fruits started to open and shine.

Clairault – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2007 (17.3). Closed and dumb to start. Silky and really quite fine, this is elegant and refined. Medium bodied and elegant, the palate is an exercise in restraint. Delicate fruit combine with silky textural components in a seamless package. Lacks the density of the best, but a good drink all the same.

Plantagenet – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Omrah – 2007 (17). Dense and impenetrable nose. Some dusty/cedary notes. Very rich palate, this is very dense and textured, with savoury notes to close. There is a touch of sweet and sour components to the fruit, which prevented me awarding higher points, but this still represents value.