Tag Archives: Margaret River

Cabernet – New Release

Part One – 31 May 2010

Wow, what a tasting! There was not a bad wine to be seen anywhere.

Ten years ago, a tasting like this would have been unheard of. To have fifteen wines in a tasting and have every one of them score a bronze medal or better would have been quite remarkable. There are several reasons for this increase in quality across the spectrum.

Most importantly, the wholesale adoption of screw caps has removed the problems associated with cork. I estimate that, traditionally, up to 15% of all wines bottled under cork had obvious signs of cork taint. There has also been a dramatic improvement in the quality of corks too, as producers introduce measures to reduce bad quality corks.

There has also been changes in vineyard management and fruit selection, as well as improvements in wine-making techniques. Hygiene is also an important factor too. Finally, the grape glut over recent years has seen quality fruit from premium regions being used in inexpensive wines.

Ultimately though, the consumer is the winner. Wines like the Angoves – Vineyard Select, Long Flat, Ferngrove – Symbols and Xanadu – Next of Kin are very good wines in their own right, and represent superb value.

Drink Up!

Tasted

Voyager – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot. – 2005 (18.2). Herbal edges with cedar and concentrated fruit. The palate is powerful and ripe with mint, mortein, cassis and dark fruits. The texture is dominated by mouth-coating tannins. Needs years to show its best. Drink with a veal chop.

Angove – Cabernet Sauvignon – Vineyard Select – 2008 (18). Wow. A crowd pleaser. Forward and ripe, this has black fruits, cedar, cigar box/tobacco leaf, blackcurrant and a touch of ribena. There is even a touch of peppermint and fly spray (A good thing). There is plenty of grip from the oak, but the fruit handles this with ease. Tremendous value.

Xanadu – Cabernet Sauvignon – Next of Kin – 2008 (17.8). Savoury notes to the dense, quality fruit. Ripe, textured, long, powerful and quite seamless. A complex wine, though the oak is a touch assertive now, (this should settle in a year or two). Bordeaux-like in style. Great value here.

Galafrey– Cabernet Sauvignon – Reserve – 2001 (17.6). Lovely developed fruit here. Dense, with mint and a touch of eucalypt. The palate is textured, dense and leathery. The ripe fruit is in the black fruits spectrum with mulberry and plum. Good length and mouth-feel. A nicely aging wine that is currently available from the winery.

McHenry Hohnen – Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Petit Verdot – Rolling Stone – 2008 (17.6). Balanced and enticing nose. This has ripe fruit in the red berry spectrum, and a silky mouth feel. Fine tannins are apparent on the finish, but a lovely wine that will improve with age.

Balnaves – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 (17.5). Leads off with mortein, mint, redcurrants and cedary oak accents. The palate continues the theme nicely. The fine tannins are a little assertive right now, but these should integrate. Typically Coonawara and an excellent result for the year.

Goundrey – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Homestead – 2008 (17.3). Silky, supple and enticing. This is an elegant and refined wine with lovely fruit. Violets, redcurrant, camphor and spice all appear on the palate with quite seamless oak. A leaner style, and good value again.

Mount Avoca – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (17.2). Bright ripe fruit on the nose and palate. This is not the densest wine here, but it is pretty and focused with fine tannins. Easy drinking over the next 5 years.

Ferngrove – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot. – Symbols – 2008 (17). Sweet fruit on the nose with camphor. The palate is dense and showing a touch of extract with licorice, spice and leather. Really slips down easily and hard to resist. A solid wine that is a bargain.

MadFish – Cabernet Sauvignon – Gold Turtle – 2008 (17). Savoury, yes, but complimented by fine ripe fruit. Dense, ripe and closed, with herbal characters to close. Very youthful. An interesting wine that will improve with a few years in the bottle.

Galafrey – Cabernet – 2005 (16.9). An interesting wine that is a bit old fashioned in style with dusty, earthy fruit. Opens nicely, and drinks well.

Long Flat – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2008 (16.6). Fruit is in the cooler spectrum, with herbs and eucalypt fruit characters on the nose. Continues on the palate with some cedar and tobacco. Ripe tannins are a touch firm on the finish. Great value at less than $10.

Windrush – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (16.4). A good quaff this. Fresh and juicy fruit to start, with ribena, plum and herbal notes. This is a fruit-forward style with minimal oak apparent.

Cabernet and Merlot

23 March 2010

What does a good merlot taste like?

This is a question that I have asked myself many times. In Australia, merlot is as much a descriptor of a style of wine as it is a reference to a grape variety. Merlots (and cabernet/merlot blends) have a reputation amongst wine drinkers as being softer and easier drinking than wines labelled Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wineries have realised that the consumer is looking for a particular style in these wines and have moved further towards these softer, easier to drink styles. In this week’s panel tasting, we looked at a cross section of cabernets and merlots. There were two pairs of wines that demonstrated the styles that I have been describing.

The Castelli merlot is an excellent example of the easy drinking style. The wine has high quality fruit and excellent winemaking. The Heggies merlot is made in completely different style. This is a very structured wine that will benefit from many years in the cellar. The wines are chalk and cheese in style, yet both are very good examples of the merlot. I still do not know what a merlot is supposed to taste like, but these are fine examples!

The two wines from Juniper Estate further illustrated these stylistic differences. The cabernet/merlot is forward and fruit driven, while the cabernet sauvignon is structured and quite tannic. Drink the blend while you wait for the straight varietal. Obviously, this style difference is a generalisation with wines like the Cullen’s cabernet/merlot not fitting the easy drinking style.

Finally, there were a few standout wines. The Houghton Gladstone 2004 is a superstar, a spectacular wine in anyone’s language. This wine is expensive, and it deserves to be so. At the other end of the price spectrum, the Houghton “Stripe Range” cabernet/merlot and the Wynns cabernet/shiraz/merlot are fantastic wines for the price. These wines will be discounted to $8 and $12 respectively. Neither wine tastes cheap and both significantly over deliver in quality.

Tasted

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon – Gladstone – 2004 (18.5). More mint and a touch of eucalypt to what is a serious wine. Powerful fruit is balanced by fresh acidity and a fine tannin structure. Yes, there is some new oak, but it really only plays a support role. Chewy finish adds to the palate. Give it 5-10 years.

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon – Gladstone – 2005 (18+). Amazing nose on this with ripe fruit, chocolate and coffee. Well made wine with a silky mouth feel. The structure is tight and fine and this wine is at the start of its life. Not yet released and will need several years to come out of the shadows of the 2004.

Heggies – Merlot – 2007 (18). Dusty, dense and briary on the nose, this is a serious wine that demands attention. The palate is big, rich and brooding with layers of dense fruit complemented by cedary oak. The long finish has balance. This is a masculine wine that demands aging. One for the aficionados. (RRP $40).

Higher Plane – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 (18). Wow, lovely wine with some tobacco leaf over ripe, structured fruit. Dense and deep, this has great line. The palate is seamless and whilst not a huge wine, there is great structure that ensures a long future. Excellent fruit quality and high class oak need time to mesh completely.

Castelli – Merlot – 2008 (17.8). The nose is dense, sweet and ripe. The fresh red fruit characters come to the fore. The palate is flooded with red currant, spice and a touch of vanilla and cedar to close. This is really silky and supple with fine tannins on a long finish. There is enough structure to please the enthusiast and take some bottle age. I challenge anyone not to like this wine. (RRP $25).

Wynns – Cabernet/Shiraz/Merlot – Red Stripe – 2008 (17.7). Closed and dumb nose hint at potential. There is ripe fruit on the palate, with redcurrants and spice. Fine tannins complement the finish. Good mouth-feel with structure that builds in the glass. A pretty wine that will look good for many years. A bargain!

Juniper Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 (17.5). Dense, ripe fruit with dusty complexity. Some cedar and even cigar box over lovely blackcurrant fruit. The palate is structured, grippy and firm, with oak tannins overwhelming the fruit right now. Will open and improve with time, but drink the blend now.

Houghton – Cabernet/Merlot – Stripe Range – 2008 (17). Quite serious fruit here with minty eucalypt fruit that appears ripe. The silky mouth-feel defines a palate that shows blackcurrant and spice. There is a touch of chocolaty complexity on the finish of what is a balanced and well-made wine. A bargain!

Voyager – Cabernet/Merlot – Girt By Sea – 2008 (16.8). Some dusty cabernet characters with some capsicum and spice. Quite an herbal palate, with hints of red fruits. Dusty finish. Well made with varietal expression and should improve in the short term.

James Oatley – Cabernet Sauvignon – Tic Tok – 2008 (16.8). Much more forward and fruit driven style. Bright red fruits with a hint of ribena. Follows on the palate with fine fresh fruits and a touch of strawberry even. A commercial style that is easy to drink.

Juniper Estate – Cabernet/Merlot – Juniper’s Crossing – 2008 (16.7) Forward and fruity nose, with some raspberry characters. The palate initially pleases with forward red fruit, but there is enough structure to keep things interesting.

Cabernet – New Release

1 February 2009

A mixed bag this week with a selection of good quality cabernets, and a bracket of sauvignon blanc. There were several note-worthy wines including the Crossings sauvignon blanc and the MadFish – Sideways cabernet. Both represent excellent value. The Vasse Felix cabernet is excellent.

The pair of cabernets from Houghton’s proved to be the most informative though. Both samples were left in a very hot stairwell for many days in the middle of summer. (This was prior to delivery to me). The Gladstone was showing obvious signs of heat damage that really flattened the fruit. The C.W. Ferguson was in much better condition, though perhaps not quite perfect. The Gladstone has a cork and the Ferguson is under screw cap. A compelling example of the benefits of screw caps.

So to the tasting…

Reviewed

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec – C.W. Ferguson – 2007 (18.2). Wow. Fresh and vibrant fruit with clear varietal black-currant on the nose. Silky and fine, but with high quality fruit and oak. Fine and elegant and good drinking. Will improve with time. (May be even better with a fresh bottle).

Vasse Felix – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 (17.9). Wow, forward and lifted cassis on the nose with ripe red fruit and red-currants. Develops cedar and cinnamon with air. The palate is ripe and chewy. This is a big, rich wine with excellent mouth-feel. Soft tannins and supple acid make for excellent early drinking. The fine tannins build on the close which will support medium term cellaring.

MadFish – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Sideways – 2008 (17.8). Closed to start but with some vanillin tones and red fruits. Continues on the palate with black-currant and fine oak to close. Well made using good fruit. Fine tannins complement the fine cedary finish.

Crossings – Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (17.4). Soft, fresh and perfumed, with some lantana as well as gooseberry and lychees. The palate is well balanced, round and generous. The finish is savoury and long. Zesty acid to close. This is really good drinking at around $15.

Capel Vale – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – Debut – 2009 (17). Restrained and tight on the nose. The palate is subtle and quite seamless. Lemony fruit dominates the finish. Excellent balance and mouth-feel. A delicate wine.

Castelli – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Cerca – 2008 (17). Dense but closed.. This has quite serious fruit. The palate is dense, chewy, silky elegant, structured. Long and lean finish. Very fine tannins build. Needs ten years to show best though some may question the cooler fruit characters.

MadFish – Cabernet Sauvignon – Gold Turtle – 2007 (16.8). Ripe and dense. Good quality fruit. Red currant. The palate is quite lean, with good structure, but lacking depth. Will flesh out in a few years.

Deepwoods – Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (16.7). A serious style that received more support from other panel members. Closed and dumb. Grapey characters on the nose and palate with some barrel ferment and oak characters. A touch of oxidative winemaking perhaps? Complex but not mainstream.

Cumulus – Sauvignon Blanc – Climbing – 2009 (16.5). Aromatic, but with a grassiness that cuts through on the nose. Some tropical notes and passionfruit. The palate is clean and fresh, but remains lean, tight and grassy. A lemony finish with plenty of acid. Apricot to close.

Millbrook – Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (16.5.) Very pale. More in your face, forward and vibrant, but a bit too cheeky for my palate.

Castelli – Cabernet Sauvignon –2008 (16.5). More closed and structured. Cooler fruit characters with some cigar box. Structured and well made, though the fruit is somewhat hidden on the closed finish. Could do with more fruit density, but will improve with bottle age.

Feet First – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2009 (N.R.) . Good fruit and winemaking, but just too young to assess objectively.

Houghton – Cabernet Sauvignon – Gladstone – 2004 (N.R.). There is no doubt that this is serious, but the bottle was heat effected.

Cabernet Sauvignon – New Release

12/12/09

The advantage of doing a blind tasting is that it enables you as the taster to get a perspective of what you are tasting without being biased by the label. And this proved so when we tried a selection of new release cabernet based wines.

The first thing that this tasting reinforced was the quality of the 2007 vintage in WA. It also highlighted that 2008 will be as good, if not better than 2007 if these early results are repeated in subsequent tastings.

Another point that stood out is that tasting numerous young cabernets can be hard work. At times I found it hard to see the fruit behind the firm structure that these wines displayed. Ultimately, many of the wines will score higher marks with time in the bottle, and I would be happy to recommend many of them to you. If you are going to drink them young though, decant them an hour or two before drinking to get the most out of them.

Tasted

Yalumba – Cabernet/Shiraz – FDR1A – 2004 (18.5). Wow. Cassis and spice, with a minerality that adds complexity. A touch herbal (a good thing), this is complex and intriguing. The palate is dense, ripe and forward. This is a warmer expression of cabernet than most here. There is even a touch of leather to the plum fruit. Super wine.

Howard Park – Cabernet – Abercrombie – 2007 (18/18.5). This is dense, savoury and very long. There is great fruit here and the wine is well made. The palate is very closed and dense. Chalky tannins to close are very fine, and the palate is finely textured. Give it lots of time.

Pedestal – Cabernet/Merlot – 2008 (18+). Closed on the nose, but has potential. The palate is dense, ripe, powerful and firm. Very drying tannins close the finish, but these are fine and ripe. This has high quality fruit, but needs ten years to show its best.

Preveli – Cabernet/Merlot – 2007 (18). Seductive violet and redcurrant. These carry through on the relatively seamless palate. Fine and elegant, this has classy fruit and winemaking. Supple and silky. This is a fine wine.

Barking Owl – Cabernet/Merlot – 2007 (17.8). Fine and elegant, the palate is defined by lovely red fruits and fine cedary oak that adds interest to the palate. Fine tannins are drying. One panellist suggested that clever winemaking techniques had been employed.

Flametree – Cabernet/Merlot – 2008 (17.75). This is dense, ripe and has sweet cabernet fruit of mint and blackcurrant juice. The density follows on a palate that is silky, complex, savoury, ripe, long and fine. This is elegant, but dense and has violets to close.

Brookland Valley – Cabernet/Merlot – Verse 1 – 2007 (17.5). This is tight but quite complete. Long, fine with supple oak that has cedary characters. The palate is quite seamless. One for the patient.

Castelli – Cabernet/Merlot – Cerca – 2008 (17). More forward and approachable nose. Ripe with red fruits. Long and fine finish. Not as dense as some, but offers better early drinking. Still has the capacity to age though.

Lamont’s – Cabernet – 2007 (17). Less forward than some here and herbal characters are evident on the nose. The palate shows sweet fruit characters with redcurrant, tar, anise and spice. There is touch of plum too. Not as complex or dense, but good drinking.

Moombaki – Cabernet/Cabernet Franc/Malbec – 2007 (17). A touch of old fashioned earthy characters on the nose, but the palate is initially bright and fresh. This bottle was showing some developed characters. Long and supple, with leathery notes on the finish. Satisfying.

Lamont’s – Family Reserve – 2007 (16.9). Opens with air. Sweet, ripe fruit with a touch of candy on the palate. Forward style, but has enough body to make for good drinking. The palate is a touch hollow. (15.5% alc).

Taltarni – Cabernet/Merlot – 2006 (16.9). Very dumb and closed on the nose, but showing some minty fruit. The palate is dusty, silky and very fine. This may evolve in the medium term.

Devil’s Lair – Cabernet/Merlot – 2006 (16.5). Cooler southern Margaret River fruit apparent on the nose. Complex briary characters with savoury tones. Well made but struggles for ripeness in this challenging year.

Xabregas – Cabernet – Show Reserve – 2007 (16.5). The fruit here is in the plum spectrum. The palate is dense and chewy, long but a bit clunky. An interesting wine that may polarise.

New Release Cabernet (and Rose)

21 October 2009

I would like to start this review with a question. How many wines can one man make and for how many wineries? The man of the moment in Western Australian wines is undoubtedly Larry Cherubino. Having made a reputation for himself at Houghton Winery in the late 1990’s, Larry has since branched out with his own winery and as a contract/consultant winemaker for numerous local operations from the Great Southern and Margaret River.

Larry produces his own wines under the Cherubino/The Yard/Ad Hoc labels and is a consultant to many others. In this tasting, apparently the Pedestal and the Capel Vale both claim his input.

Of the wines tried, the Capel vale was a standout. This is not going to be cheap (think $70+), but it was very good. From a value point of view, the Higher Planes will make good drinking over the next few years and is a relative bargain at $20. It is not surprising to note that both these wines came from the stellar 2007 vintage.

We are steadily working our way through the backlog of Roses. I am pleased to report that we are down to a dozen or so bottles. What I now realise is that there is no “textbook” style for these wines. They vary significantly from fruit driven and sugary sweet to the dry and oxidised styles (See Shemerdine).

Reviewed

Capel Vale – The Scholar – Cabernet – 2007 (18.5). Dense and concentrated nose with cool fruit. There is a touch of mortein (good) and mint (also good). Some herbal notes too. The palate is ripe, fresh, long and supple. Really builds in the mouth. The fine tannins close down the fruit now, but the finish is silky. Developed ripe blackcurrant and mulberry fruit with air.

Houghton – C W Ferguson – Cabernet Malbec – 2007 (17.5). Clean and fresh, opens with some menthol and eucalypt fruit, but the fruit is ripe. The palate starts austere and dry, as the fruit and oak tannins hide the fruit. Could have a bit more flesh, but should develop nicely with a few years in the cellar.

Higher Plane – South by South West – Cabernet Merlot– 2007 (17.3). Seamless, fine and elegant. Very closed at the moment. A pretty wine.

Castelli – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (17.2). Dense and ripe fruit here with a touch of licorice and spice. The palate is dominated by black currant, spice and cedary oak, with a touch of vanilla on a drying finish. Medium bodied, the fine tannins close down finish. Classy.

Pedestal – Cabernet Merlot – 2008 (17). Complex nose with dense cabernet fruit and a touch of cherries. The palate is chewy, rich and textured. Not sophisticated but good drinking. A big man’s wine.

Pepperjack – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (17). Opens with eucalyptus and menthol fruit. This is a big wine. Round sturdy fruit in the black spectrum. Eye watering. A cabernet for shiraz drinkers?

Amberley – Secret Lane – Cabernet Merlot – 2008 (16.5). Dumb to start with and very closed. The palate has some spice oak and red currant and it builds some chocolate texture with air. Not as concentrated as the best here.

Kiss Chasey – Rose – 2009 (16.3). Sweet smelling with some floral overtones. A touch of savoury characters too. The palate is savoury, spicy, long and interesting. There is gentile cherry fruit with a drying finish.

Shelmerdine – Rose – 2008 (16). This was a very pale brown in colour, attesting to the oxidised wine making style. The nose is clean and bright, but lacks any strong fruit character. This is an unusual style that should suit food.

Moss Wood Lunch with the Mugfords

7th August 2009

Lamont’s Wine Store – Cottesloe

There are not many certainties in life besides death, taxes and stock market crashes. Another that can be added to the list is that year in – year out, Moss Wood make fantastic wines that are at the forefront of their style. I was reminded of this recently when a small group sat down to lunch with Keith and Clare Mugford, the proprietors of Moos Wood, at a recent tasting at Lamont’s in Cottesloe. The idea was to try the new releases and also see how some of the wines age.

Established in the late 1960’s by Bill and Sandra Pannell, Moss Wood’s first vintage was in 1973. Keith joined the wine making team for the 1979 vintage and the Mugfords ended up taking control of the winery and vineyards in the mid 1980’s. The rest, as they say, is history.

In 2000, the Mugfords bought Ribbon Vale winery and vineyards to supplement the Moss Wood portfolio. This allowed for the expansion of the portfolio of wine in a way that complemented existing wines. I have been interested to watch the development of the Ribbon Vale wines over the last 10 years. While there is more vintage variation apparent than in the Moss Wood cabernet, in years like 2005, the wines are excellent. (I am looking forward to the 2007’s when they are released).

Consistency is a key part of why the wines from Moss Wood are so highly regarded. In years like 2001 and 2005, the wines are truly outstanding, and the equal of any cabernet based wine in the world. In lesser years, the wines retain their style and character, but perhaps loose a bit of the power. The 2006 Cabernet is a case in point. This was not the best year for reds in Margaret River, but as you will see below, the cabernet is an elegant and refined wine of real quality.

My tip: Buy the best years to cellar for the long term, and buy the lighter years to drink while waiting for the best to mature. At 5 – 10 years old, these wines will provide wonderful drinking, and allow wines like the 2005 to stay tucked away for the long haul.

NB. I attended this tasting as a guest of Lamont’s

Tasted

Moss Wood – Ribbon Vale Vineyard – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – 2008 (17.5). Very cold. Starts quite lean but opens with almond meal nuttiness and grassy notes. The palate is complex, grassy and long. There is more almond meal and apricot on the close.

Moss Wood – Semillon – 2008 (17.7). Really lemony to open, with lanolin. The palate is viscous, even oily, with grassy fruit and a touch of phenolics to close. This will benefit from a few years in the cellar.

Moss Wood – Chardonnay – 2007 (17.5). Complex but quite closed, pineapple fruit. The palate is complex, with some smoky oak grip. There is some peach and melon fruit, with roast cashews to close. A touch broad on the finish that detracts slightly.

Moss Wood – Chardonnay – 1993 (18.5). Developed, ripe and complex with peachy fruit. The palate is complex with nutty/mushroomy developed characters and a touch of lanolin. Lemony acid freshens the finish. Very long and seamless finish. Remarkable wine

Moss Wood – Pinot Noir – 2006 (17.3). Fragrant, perfumed and elegant. Touch of lemon too. In the mouth this is complex, with herbs and sour cherry fruit. Grippy tannins to close. These wines really don’t show that well young, but hit their straps after about ten years in the cellar.

Moss Wood – Ribbon Vale Vineyard – 2005 (18.3+). Ripe and quite linear at the moment. Lots of red fruits with raspberries and red currants. Touch of plum too. The fruit characters continue on the palate accompanied by fine, dusty tannins. Silky oak to close. This will improve for many years.

Moss Wood – Ribbon Vale Vineyard – 2007 (18.5+). Riper fruit, with lifted cherries and plums. Whilst ripe, the palate has fine chalky tannins to close. Cherries and plums build, and the palate is seamless. Very long and very good. Tight now, so give it some air, or better still, keep it for 10 years+.

Moss Wood – Cabernet Sauvignon – 1992 (18). Developed, earthy, leathery and very long. There is a touch of mint and spice too. This is a leaner style, reflected in the mint and dried herbs on the palate. A lovely mature wine.

Moss Wood – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2006 (18.5). Wow, lovely sweet ripe fruit that has real perfume. This is supple with a touch of earthiness. Cinnamon, cloves and leather add complexity. Silky tannins to close. A feminine wine.

New Release Cabernet

25 July 2009

A short sharp line up of wine here. The highlight was the bracket of cabernets from Xanadu. I believe that 2007 was the first vintage that was completely in control of the new owners, and what a difference it has made. The premium wines are very good, and the entry level Next Of Kin is very smart and excellent value.

Xanadu is now in the hands of the Rathbone family, who also own Yerring Station, Mt Langi Giran and Parker (Coonawara). Each of these wines represent the pinnacle of their respective regions, so I am not surprised that Xanadu showed so well. Their chardonnays are also good too. This is a winery to watch!

Tasted

Parker – First Growth – Cabernet– 2004 (18.4). Wow, this has lifted ripe fruit on the nose, and is dense, ripe and textured. Lovely mouth feel here and the fruit builds. There is black current and spice and the finish is very fine and long. This is a powerful wine with well integrated oak and a seamless finish

Xanadu – Limited release – Cabernet – 2007 (18+). Very closed right now. There is ripe cabernet fruit, with a touch of regional mintiness that is in balance. The palate is long and lean at the moment but there is plenty of fine ripe fruit underneath. Good acid to close. We drank this two nights later, and it was quire superb.

Plantaganet – Cabernet – 2007 (18). Dense and powerful fruit. Opens with sweet ripe fruit, cassis and spice. Vanillin oak well integrated The palate has a touch of herbs and a long drying finish. Excellent fruit and quality wine making. This was a delight two days later.

Parker – Terra Rossa – Cabernet – 2004 (17.9). Classic cabernet nose with cassis and a touch of brioche on the nose. The palate has ripe fruit that is quite succulent. There is very good line and length, and the very fine tannins add to the finish. Fine oak grip to close. This is a dense and powerful wine that will age for many years.

Xanadu – Cabernet – 2007 (17.8). Complex but closed to start. The palate has dense ripe fruit that is complex. There is some tobacco leaf to close. Cedary oak is apparent on the long, fine finish. Velvety tannins to close. Well Made.

Xanadu – Next of Kin – Cabernet – 2007 (17.5). Seductive, ripe and succulent nose. The palate has blackcurrant fruit and is fleshy. Good fruit, fine acid and enough oak and tannin grip to add balance. Fruit builds and chalky tannins to close. Tarry and brambly fruit. This is good stuff and should be great value.

Cape Mentelle – Trinders – Cabernet Merlot– 2007 (17). Dense, ripe and full. Some blackcurrant fruit with touch of herbs. The palate has good quality fruit that builds. Lacks mid palate density and weight right now. Gritty tannins and solid oak to close. Will be better in a couple of years.

Forest Hill – Cabernet – 2007 (17). Closed right now and hard to assess. Quality fruit and wine making.

Capel Vale – Margaret River – Cabernet – 2007 (16.8). Seductive nose. There is ripe, quality fruit that is quite long and plummy. Opens. Not my style as there is a touch of green and bay leaf to close.

Windance – Reserve – Cabernet – 2007 (16.7). Sweet fruit with a touch of candy. Candied fruit continues on the palate. Atypical. The wine is actually long and textured. I should look at this again.

Reynella – Basket Press – Cabernet – 2005 (?16.5). I struggled with this wine as it was so closed. It starts quite austere, but has ripe cooler fruit. The finish is tight and lean. I would like to see this wine again .

Scalawag – Cabernet Merlot – 2007 (15.7)

 

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