Posted: December 10, 2019
A very good, tight and beautifully focussed, cabernet. Huge colour, powerful ripe fruit/sweet oak nose and lively savoury berry palate with slightly drying tannins.
Comments Off on St Hugo Legacy Collection “The Last Letter’ Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A stylish cabernet. Nose is a rich concentration of dark berry fruit layered with lovely oak. Powerful cassis fruit/sweet oak flavours with big volume of grainy tannins. 5+
Comments Off on St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A lighter style with pretty minty red fruit aromas and flavours. Slightly warm with fine soft tannins and hints of wintergreen.
Comments Off on McGuigan Personal Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Lifted richness and maturity with complexity of cassis fruit and oak. “Has a good claret structure.”
Comments Off on McGuigan Personal Reserve Hunter Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Rich fruit cake-like aromas. Soft in the mouth with spicy plum flavours. “A good drink.”
Comments Off on Saracen Estates Reserve Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Beautiful ripe cassis fruit characters seamlessly integrated with the oak and complex secondary characters evolving. Strong acidity. Will settle with time. 5+
Comments Off on d’Arenberg The Coppermine Road McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Young, uncomplicated and fruity wine. “An upmarket quaffer,” according to one judge.
Comments Off on Evoi Reserve Satyr Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot Malbec 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Complex tarry characters on the nose, shows nice bottle age with a leafy lift. Good depth of flavour with fine-grained tannins.
Comments Off on Evoi Reserve Satyr Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot Malbec 2012 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Toasty bottle age characters obvious on the slightly honeyed nose and the nicely developing palate.
Comments Off on Allandale Winery Hunter Valley Semillon 2010 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A well balanced citrus driven semillon with attractive toasty buttery elements.
Comments Off on Allandale Winery Hunter Valley Semillon 2014 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A big wine with a chocolate box of a nose and coffee notes. Rich sweet dark berry fruit flavours with hints of olives. Great soft tannin structure. Good use of oak. 3-5
Comments Off on Reillys Clare Valley The Dancer Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Bright blackberry bouquet with a sweet cedar lift and lovely medium bodied palate fresh with fruit and balanced by the oak. 3-5
Comments Off on Taylors St Andrews Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Deep purple wine with a “Beautiful Bordeaux-like nose.” Lovely varietal fruit on the palate with great oak integration. 5+
Comments Off on Truffle Hill Truffle Hunters Reserve Pemberton Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Franc Malbec 2014 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Still extremely youthful. “Looks like a current vintage,” according to one judge. Beautiful structure, lovely fresh vibrant fruit with firm building tannins. “Very very good!”
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Hawkes Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A very young, vibrant, bright purple wine with excellent fruit characters and toasty oak. Needs time.
Comments Off on Vidal Legacy Hawkes Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A powerful yet nicely restrained cabernet with evolving red fruit characters and satin smooth tannins. Quite warming.
Comments Off on Vidal Legacy Hawkes Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A big wine with dark cherry/plum aromas and oak playing a secondary role. Tight “claret-like” palate has lovely concentration of sweet fruit, fine tannins and oak. 5+
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Hawkes Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2015 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Big dense mulberry/plum fruit nose that opens up with some air. Powerful well-balanced palate exhibits very good varietal fruit concentration. 3-5
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Hawkes Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Travelling well with amazingly bright colour for the age. Beautiful blackberry fruit with classy sweet oak and toasty notes. It has structure, length and freshness.
Comments Off on Villa Maria Library Release Hawkes Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A lean style with dense ripe cassis fruit, lovely oak integration and some attractive savoury secondary characters evolving.
Comments Off on Peccavi Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Very young wine with a vibrant impact of powerful fruit. Good use of oak and stand-out acidity. Needs time to come together. 3-5
Comments Off on Domaine Asmara Infinity Heathcote Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A huge youthful oaky wine with years ahead of it. Some nice plump, sweet, dark plum fruit underneath the classy oak. It’s a wine with elegance, depth and freshness. 5+
Comments Off on Domaine Asmara Infinity Heathcote Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A complex cabernet with cassis aromas showing green notes. Round and soft in the mouth with sweet fruit and cedar oak.
Comments Off on Lévrier by Jo Irvine Anubis Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Young, stylish and elegant with minty cassis fruit and savoury nuances in the background with fine grained tannins.
Comments Off on Single File The Philip Adrian Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Nose of blackberry and chocolate. Lifted sweet black fruit flavours, hints of jubey sweetness and big tannins.
Comments Off on Skillogalee Trevarrick Single Contour Clare Valley Shiraz 2015 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Nose of lime blossom and bath salts with a clean fresh citrus palate and “playful” acid.
Comments Off on Skillogalee Trevarrick Single Contour Clare Valley Riesling 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Bright red wine with youthful purple hues. Strong menthol lift to the leafy herbal nose with more of those characters threaded through the soft palate. 3-5
Comments Off on Blue Pyrenees Richardson Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Mature nose smelling of soy, plums and leathery. Lovely controlled palate weight – it’s savoury and textured with some really lovely blackberry fruit characters.
Comments Off on Reillys Stolen Block Clare Valley Shiraz 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
This tightly structured, single-vineyard Parkburn red was barrel-aged (20% new). Ruby hued, it is invitingly fragrant, full-bodied and fresh, with a hint of herbs, savoury, nutty notes adding complexity and firm tannins. It needs time; open 2022+. $79 (A)
Comments Off on Chard Farm Mason Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Invitingly perfumed and finely textured, this single-vineyard Parkburn red was hand-harvested and barrel-aged (20% new). Mouthfilling, it is ruby hued, with strong, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, nutty oak adding complexity, and a very harmonious finish. Best drinking 2021+….
Comments Off on Chard Farm The Viper Parkburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
This lush, sturdy, velvety red was estate-grown and hand-selected at Bendigo, and matured for 19 months in French oak barriques (one year-old). Deeply coloured, it is softly mouthfilling, with seductively rich, ripe cherry/plum flavours, gentle acidity, and a very harmonious,…
Comments Off on Mondillo Bella Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
This is my pick of Chard Farm’s reds from 2017. A single-vineyard Lowburn red, it was hand-picked and barrel-aged (20% new). Deep ruby, it is mouthfilling and supple, with generous, youthful cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, oak-derived complexity and…
Comments Off on Chard Farm The Tiger Lowburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
At five years old, this highly perfumed, powerful red is a pleasure to drink, but still unfolding. Matured for 17 months in French oak barriques (35% new), it is dark and full-bodied, with dense, beautifully ripe flavours of plums, spices,…
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
This highly refined red was hand-picked at two sites in the Gimblett Gravels and matured for 20 months in French oak barriques (43% new). Dark and floral, with inviting plum and black pepper aromas, it has dense plum, berry and…
Comments Off on Vidal Legacy Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Built for the long haul, this beautifully structured red was hand-picked in the Cornerstone Vineyard and matured for 15 months in French oak barriques. Dark and concentrated, it is fragrant and sturdy, with deep, youthful blackcurrant, plum and black pepper…
Comments Off on Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Set for a long life, this powerful, highly refined red was grown in the Chalk Ridge vineyard, on the edge of the Havelock North hills. Hand-harvested and matured for a year in French oak casks (45% new), it is dark…
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
This full-coloured red was matured in French oak barriques. It has a fragrant, savoury bouquet, leading into a mouthfilling wine with strong, berryish, spicy flavours, showing considerable complexity, and good tannin backbone. Best drinking 2021+. $65
Comments Off on Linden Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Already drinking well, this is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. Full-coloured, it is savoury and complex, with mouthfilling body, deep, berryish, spicy, nutty flavours, and the structure to age well. Best 2021+. $55
Comments Off on Linden Estate Dam Block Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2017 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
This classy, densely packed red is a 4:1 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, matured for 20 months in French oak barriques (60% new). Still purple-flushed, it is highly fragrant, full-bodied and complex, with concentrated blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours,…
Comments Off on Vidal Legacy Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
A refined, very ‘complete’ wine, this dark, fragrant red is mouthfilling, rich and supple, with lovely depth of blackcurrant, plum, red berry and spice flavours, finely integrated oak and a very harmonious, lasting finish. Already delicious, but full of potential,…
Comments Off on Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Malbec 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
This powerful, weighty, youthful red is a blend of cabernet franc (34%), cabernet sauvignon (32%) and merlot (26%), with a splash of malbec. Hand-harvested in the Gimblett Gravels (75%) and the Bridge Pa Triangle (25%), it was matured for 21…
Comments Off on Elephant Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc Cabernet Merlot 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
This powerful, very youthful red is a Gimblett Gravels blend of merlot (40%), malbec (33%) and cabernet sauvignon (27%). Deeply coloured, it is weighty, with bold, berryish, plummy, nutty flavours, fresh and concentrated, firm tannin backbone, excellent complexity and a…
Comments Off on Babich The Patriarch Hawke’s Bay Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Still very youthful, this stylish wine was hand-picked in the Lyons and Kokaho vineyards, and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (45% new). Highly fragrant, with a complex, slightly smoky bouquet, it is weighty, with deep, vibrant, citrusy,…
Comments Off on Vidal Legacy Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Well worth cellaring, this elegant, youthful wine was estate-grown at Te Awanga (80%) and in the Bridge Pa Triangle (20%), and fermented and matured for a year in French oak casks (26% new). The bouquet is highly fragrant and complex;…
Comments Off on Elephant Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Fantastic youthful cassis and blackberry bouquet layered with savoury oak. A very fresh, alert, varietal palate with a fine tannin structure. Plenty of class here!
Comments Off on Leconfield ‘The Sydney’ Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Super fresh for an 11-year old. Smells like fruit cake and cigar boxes with spicy earthy black fruit flavours.
Comments Off on Rojomama Red Art Cellar Release Barossa Valley Petit Verdot 2008 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Oaky style layered with attractive dark chocolate, cola and blueberry characters
Comments Off on Dudley The Stud Kangaroo Island Shiraz 2013 / 0 View / December 10, 2019
Posted: December 10, 2019
Nicely maturing wine with intensity of Ribena and raspberry fruit characters, mocha oak and soft tannins.
Comments Off on Taylors St Andrews Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 / 0 View / December 10, 2019