Tasting Panel | Cabernet and Blends

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

TASTED 6TH MAY AT BIBO WINE BAR, DOUBLE BAY SYDNEY

IN THIS EDITION WE TAKE A LOOK AT CABERNET SAUVIGNON, A GRAPE VARIETY LONG APPRECIATED FOR ITS AGE WORTHY, SEDUCTIVE STYLES MADE FAMOUS BY THE BORDEAUX CHATEAUX FROM WHERE IT ORIGINATES. CAB SAV IS THE MOST PLANTED GRAPE VARIETY IN THE WORLD WITH 840,000 ACRES COVERING 5% OF ALL VINEYARD AREA ON THE PLANET. WITH WINEMAKERS THE WORLD OVERLOOKING TO RECREATE, OR PAY HOMAGE TO THE CLASSIC BORDEAUX WINES, YOU THE US WITH THEIR BLOCK BUSTER PARKER FRIENDLY MONSTER WINES OF THE 1990’S, ALL EXTRACTION, NEW OAK AND ALCOHOL, TO AFFORDABLE SUPERMARKET DROPS FROM CHILE, THE COUNTRY WITH THE MOST VINEYARD AREA DEDICATED TO THE VARIETY, 20%.

HOWEVER, THIS OFTEN HAILED VARIETY HAS FALLEN OUT OF FAVOUR IN RECENT YEARS, WITH A MOVE TO MORE IMMEDIATE DRINKING STYLES AND VARIETIES HAS CAB SAV BEEN LEFT ON THE SHELF? WE TOOK A LOOK AT 130 SAMPLES FROM AROUND AUSTRALIA TO SEE HOW OUR CABS WERE FAIRING, ARE THEY SHOWING THEIR REGIONAL ORIGINS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY DO THESE WINES STILL RESONATE WITH THE CONSUMER?

PANEL

TRAVIS FULLER

Kilikanoon Wines GM

CHARLIE SIMPSON

Virtuous Vines

LOUELLA MATHEWS

Head Sommelier Bibo Wine Bar

JACK GLOVER

Marketing Director ANZ Accolade Wines

MICHAEL MCINTOSH

Fine Wine Brand Ambassador Accolade Wines

DAVID MESSUM

Winemaker/Marketer Born & Raised

WRAP UP

A huge array of wines on show, many showing the growing conditions of their origin. The standout wines, and many supporting silvers were all excellent. The top wines showed really world class poise and winemaking and unsurprisingly command a premium price but there was value to be found in at the other end of the price spectrum, you just needed to look a little harder. The trend to the generic dry red was disappointing, getting the balance on picking and natural acidity right would transform many of these wines without the need to pick with greenness still in the flavour profile. However, the mood was upbeat, the Australian Cabernet game is still strong.

TOP SCORING WINES

Wine # Score Wine 2 97 Yarra Yering Dry Red 1 2019 (Blend) $120 - WINNER

11 96 Vasse Felix Estate Label 2018 RR $50 16 95 Highbank Family Reserve 2014 $130 7 95 Rob Dolan ‘Signature Series’ 2017 Yarra $80 12 95 Snake & Herring The Distance 2019 RRP $90 8 95 Yarra Yering Agincourt 2019 $105

OF NOTE: 14 90 Patrick Methode Cab Nouveau $32 2 90 Vasse Felix Filius 2019 RRP $28 8B 92 Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa 2019 $25

MARGARET RIVER

The Margaret River and Coonawarra regions were, as expected, well represented as true Cab Sav producers. The general consensus was this was a more consistent bracket, showing great varietal character across the board, with good winemaking letting the natural character and acid balance show through.

VASSE FELIX ESTATE LABEL 2018 RRP $50 | 96 points Super balanced delivery, black fruits, touch of cigar, layered and harmonious. The complete package - driven line, long and textural tannins. Nicely done - JG

Beautiful bouquet of floral perfume, musk, spice and dark brooding fruit. Classic fruit profile with a savory graphite pencil lead character. Framed by oak and firm ripe tannins. Drinking great now but will also age gracefully. This would be a wine that I would struggle to cellar! - MM

SNAKE & HERRING THE DISTANCE 2019 RRP $90 | 95 points Cool fragrant current, tomato leaf and red tea. Delicate and pure with heightened red profiles. - JG Intense. Dense. Structured. The wine is tight. Plum and cassis overlayed with graphite and oak. A little underwhelming now, but this wine is holding onto secrets that will only come with careful cellaring. - MM

HOWARD PARK ABERCROMBIE 2017 RRP $120 | 92 points Tightly stung with truss, blackcurrant patch and savoury layered oak. Ripe and plush fruit profile on the palate with a generous round finish. Gravelly tannins to finish.Plush upfront fruit. Big chocolatey and savory tobacco, alongside graphite and green leafy notes. All structure and frame. The wine just needs time. When it hits its stride, it will be first class…. 5 years+

- MM

OF NOTE: VASSE FELIX FILIUS 2019 RRP $28 | 90 points Cool blackcurrant and olive lift, wafts of fresh oak, lithe acidity and fresh varietal drive. Length is moderate and tannins well balanced. - JG

A more forward drinking style, still plenty of varietal character, great length. A crowd pleaser with class. - DM HOWARD PARK LESTON 2017 RRP $40 | 90 points Truss, hints of red florals and classic blackcurrant depth. Structurally bold with texture and weight throughout the palate. Width of flavour on the finish. - JG

Very spicy palate. A little dominated by oak. - MM

MR BLENDS

HAREWOOD ESTATE BLEND 2018 GREAT SOUTHERN RRP $20 | 95 points Black fruits and earthy tones. Moody. Great textural balance with palate depth and a focused line of bright acidity. Layered complexity to finish. - JG

Dark and brooding with warm spices, dried leaves and earthy mushrooms. Great length and persistence, the wine evolves effortlessly on the palate. A bolder more masculine style, but well balanced. Drinking beautifully now, but will benefit from a couple of years in the cellar.

Bold and unashamedly so. A statement of the ability of great fruit coupled with purposeful winemaking influence. - MM

RIVERBANK ‘ON THE RUN’ 2019 $20 | 93 points Fragrant and pure. Lovely red and floral lift. Fleshy with elegant red fruit structure. Stylish line. - JG

A touch sweet and sour notes on the palate. Gentle and smooth on the palate, with super fine tannins. Good use of oak, will just keep getting better with age. Absolute standout. Very complex without being overstated. Each varietal plays its part and has it’s moment in the spotlight, whilst restrained winemaking gives the platform for to support. - MM

SNAKE & HERRING CANNONBALL 2018 RRP $45 | 92 points Savoury brooding reds - cool edgy fruit. Lacking little depth and feels clipped, needs some air - JG

Softer reserved style. More red fruit spectrum. Macerated strawberries indicating a strong influence of merlot. Fine chocolatey tannic finish. - MM

CLARE

The Clare wines tended to be elegant, blue fruits but just lacked a little varietal punch. No golds awarded but plenty of bronze and a handful of silvers

PIKES DOGWALK 2018 RRP $25 | 92 points Airy blackcurrant and blue fruits. Lovely fresh scents. Tight and linear. Tannins and fresh and textural. A wine with poise. - JG

REVERENCE ‘KOONOWLA’ 2019 RRP $32 | 92 points Lovely lifted red and black currents. Scented and elegant. Hints of cola and oak notes. Dense and structured palate. Bold drive.

- JG

GEORGES CLARE 2018 RRP $25 | 91 points Good blackcurrant focus and integrated oak nuance. Flesh and juicy firm tannins. Moderate length. - JG

Showcasing the quintessential Clare Shiraz .Medium bodied with restrained intensity.

- MM

COONAWARRA

An interesting bracket of wines from Coonawarra and its famed Terra Rossa soils. On the one hand you had standouts such as the Highbank family reserve, excellent winemaking, restrained and letting the quality fruit shine. Plus it has some age which really makes the difference in bringing out the classic Cab cassis and cedar varietal characters. On the other hand we were left disappointed with many wines falling into the generic red category, added acid showing up in a number of wines. A wine of note is the Parker Methode Cab Nouveau, yes its totally on trend with naturally leaning winemaking, flint bottle and wax cap, you could argue the carbonic winemaking could come from anywhere, but the play on its obvious eucalypt notes and sheer drinkability make it a standout. Great to see some innovation from such a traditional region.

HIGHBANK FAMILY RESERVE 2014 RRP $130 | 95 points Black currant, anise through cherry and mulberry flavours. Rich and soft with plenty of tannin structure. A classic style.

- CS

Textbook Cab Sav, fruit starting to settle, good lick of oak, fully integrated and long. Classy, elegant. Traditional but in all the good way. - DM

PATRICK HOME BLOCK 2015 RRP $90 | 92 points Dark choc, blackberry, mid palate richness with a soft and seductive finish. - TF

PATRICK METHODE CAB NOUVEAU RRP $32 | 90 points Mint, eucalypt, soft pliable tannins. A simple, straight forward wine with glugability! - TF

Juicy little number, still cabby enough, Carbonic spring in its step. Drinkability high. - DM

MCLAREN VALE

The consensus from the panel on McLaren Vale was unanimous, sadly disappointing. Most wines lacked varietal character and were just big, ripe dry reds. Even with some well known producers in the mix nothing showed well on the day.

HICKINBOTHAM TRUEMAN 2018 RRP $75 | 88 points Big soft and oaky. More like a dry red than showing varietal character but better than the rest. - TF

VICTORIA

Some standout wines here. The panel were impressed with the freshness and natural acidity at play in the wines. Judicious use of oak used to frame not overwhelm the fruit just added to seductive nature of these wines.

YARRA YERING DRY RED 1 2019 (BLEND) WINNER | RRP $120 | 97 points Cab Characterful, but light, fresh and long. Juicy Blackcurrant, balanced acidity with no real CS hole. Complete. Excellent. - DM

Bright, tight and long. Gorgeous structure. Delicate yet powerful throughout. - TF

ROB DOLAN ‘SIGNATURE SERIES’ 2017 YARRA RRP $80 | 95 points Blackcurrant, juicy but with hole filled. Long. Nice acidity. Want to drink. Like if a little generic - DM

Brooding black fruits and old-world complex aroma. Bright fruit with lovely acid balance and super fine tannins. Long finish with very good intensity. Very well balanced. - SMW

YARRA YERING AGINCOURT 2019 RRP $105 | 95 points Candied musk lolly, red fruits. Crunchy acidity to a powerful, long finish. - TF

Perfumed lift, complex dark berry with bramble and mocha spice. dense fruit with bright acidity, smooth ripe tannins - SMW

Balanced, clean, elegant and great length, super well-made but lacks verve. Just want a bit more - DM

BAROSSA

One thing that could be said of the Barossan’s on show were they are a product of their growing conditions. Warmth and richness abound, and whilst it was easy to dismiss some of these wines as simply too big and perhaps flabby compared to the elegance the variety is known for, there were good wines to be found across the bracket with consistent bronze scores and the silvers below.

CHATEAU TANUNDA GRAND BAROSSA 2019 RRP $25 | 92 points Warm, but lightness of touch, cassis fruit forward. Fine grippy tannins, good length, integrated acidity. Like it. - DM

CURATOR WINE CO. 2018 RRP $35 | 91 points Big boy!! Little Hot, but balanced with lipsmacking, jammy fruit and nice savory note. Its good. If BIG - DM

OTHER

ROBERT MONDAVI BOURBON BARREL AGED 2018 RRP $25 | 90 points Old world leather and dried berries, big flavour of fresh blackberry and cassis, very long finish - SMW

Very sweet fruited. Rich, well balanced. Looks good if overly fruity/cloying - DM

HUMBLE VINE 2018 VICTORIA RRP $15 | 89 points Well made, complete, good length. Some older material. Good - DM

Complex aromas, bright black fruits, big flavour intensity and soft acid - SMW

LANGHORN AND OTHER SA

TAYLORS PROMISED LAND 2019 RRP $18 | 90 points OK, Varietal, cheapy? little sweet - DM

Big black fruits, long complex, fine tannin on finish - SMW