2010 Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon (Nagambie Lakes)

There’s an old school honesty and simplicity to Tahbilk’s wines that I find immensely appealing. They are the kind of wines that can age 10-20 years without much of a fuss. And while everyone’s off chasing the next hip wine style, Tahbilk just sit there in Nagambie Lakes punching out Cabernet, Shiraz and Marsanne. Moreover, at under $20 a bottle these wines always represent great value.

The 2010 Cabernet is a lovely medium-bodied claret with just that touch of extra fruit weight one would expect when compared to a French equivalent. Flavours of blackcurrant, cigar box, and a touch of eucalypt. Acid driven and accompanied by fine tannin. As it pushes through the finish, and as it opened up over a few days, a lovely earthiness emerges. Very enjoyable now and I’d reckon it will surprise many how well it evolve over the next 10 years.

Rated:

RRP: $18
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Drink: 2013-2020+
Website: www.tahbilk.com.au


Red

1993 Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot (Coonawarra)

This was courtesy of my aunty and uncle in Canberra, while I was down there last week. They have a fantastic cellar, which includes Semillons and Rieslings from the 70s. While there we opened a ’76 Leo Buring Riesling, but sadly, while drinkable, it was well past its best.

The 1993 Petaluma Coonawarra, however, is certainly not past it, and indeed is drinking very well right now. At twenty years of age there’s still plenty of beautiful blackcurrant fruit, along with sweet cedar, and just a hint of eucalypt. There’s a lovely earthiness that runs its length and sees it finish long and savoury. The acidity and tannins are there if you go looking for them, but they are perfectly folded into the wine at this stage. I’d suggest it’s at its peak now, though it should still age gracefully over the next 5-10 years, cork permitting. Simply put it’s a lovely aged Coonawarra Cabernet and the kind of wine I love drinking.

Rated:

 

 

 

Drink: 2013-2018

Website: www.petaluma.com.au

 

 

 

Red

Downfall of a Cult Californian Winery . . . Bob Returns

A couple of years since our favourite Californian winery ripped up its Cabernet vines in order to prepare for life after Robert Parker, the team is taking the winery owner through the vineyard changes . . .





For the original Downfall of a Cult Californian Winery video, please see below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lIvGuCPZOc

2008 Houghton Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon (Frankland River)

An historic Australian winery, producing a Cabernet named after one of the legends of Australian wine, from one of Australia’s grand cru’s. The Houghton Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon from the Justin Vineyard appeals to my love of history, love of Cabernet, and a desire to see Australia produce great wines from great sites.

Unfortunately, it’s unclear what the future of this iconic wine is. Houghton (Accolade wines) will no longer lease the Justin Vineyard. Instead it is now being leased by Robert Oatley and overseen by Larry Cherubino. Apparently Houghton will still look to take the same parcels of fruit from the 80 hectare vineyard for this wine, but in losing control it undoubtedly casts some doubt as to the quality of fruit that will grace Jack Mann. As such, for those that find this wine as compelling as I do, and are willing to fork out the cash for it, it’s probably worth snapping this and the next couple of vintages up (I think the last vintage they had control was 2011).

The first time I tried the 2008 was at a tasting 18 months ago, and I was blown away by the quality of the wine. Drinking it a few weeks back, it seemed to have closed down somewhat, though the quality was still evident.

This is a wine that doesn’t lack for fruit or power. A beautiful depth of blackcurrant fruit is complimented by cabernet leafiness, some eucalypt, and a hint of earthiness. Oak is present but of high quality. There is plenty of latent complexity here, but it's not really strutting its stuff just at the moment. Fine but persistent tannins. Great length. Not for now, but to be had as a 10 year old, and then for many years after. 4 Stars ++

Rated:

++

RRP: $110 (can be found around the traps for about $85)

ABV: 14%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.houghton-wines.com/



Red

Teusner 2010 'The Gentleman' Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Teusner’s ‘The Gentleman’ Cabernet Sauvignon appears to be the Cabernet sister to the Riebke Shiraz – same price point, similar labelling, but also similar bang for your buck? Let’s take a look:

Subtle liquorice/ aniseed, molasses, allspice and largely black fruits on the nose,.  Ripe black fruit on the palate, initial cola flavours, yet finishes with a savoury herbal/dark chocolate note, a degree of alcohol heat and pleasantly surprising length. The tannins are ripe and soft, medium to full bodied and a nice intensity and a silky mouthfeel.  
(Almost predictably), at around $18-22 per bottle, this is another promising, good value release from Teusner, alongside the excellent ‘The Independent’ Shiraz Mataro and Riebke Shiraz ranges.  They are a winery on top of its game from a wine making and wine marketing perspective.

Rating – 90points / 3.5 Stars
ABV – 14.5%
RRP: $18-22
Website: http://www.teusner.com.au/

2009 Kirrihill Single Vineyard Tullymore Vineyard cab Cabernet Sauvignon – Clare Valley

I was a fan of the 2008 edition of this so was keen to try the 2009. Tasting it upon opening, it smelled and largely tasted of blackcurrants, blackberries, menthol, mint and freshly turned soils/earth. On the palate the tannins stood out – they were grippy, a bit bitter and dominated the wine in the middle and back palate (even for a tannin fan like me). On the finish there was considerable cedery oak.
On the second and third days the fruit was more prominent, a bit of black plum was present and generally more fruit sweetness, and less intense dustyness and tannins.

One to cellar for a few years to allow the tannins to soften, not as good as the 08 edition, but pretty nice value for the price- a considerable step up in terms of complexity and structure from the entry level Kirihill Cabernet as well as many other Australian Cabernets in the $13-17 range.
Rating

/ 89pts + ('+' for being a cheap single vineyard wine that will get better in the cellar).

Price: $16.95
ABV: 14.5%
Website: http://www.kirrihillwines.com.au// and http://winexpress.com.au/

2004 Bodega Catena Zapata - D.V Catena Cabernet

One of the (many) wines tasted during my relaxing holiday in Argentina. :-)


Faded crimson in colour, with brickish red on the rim, a nose of menthol, salted liquorice, cassis and x factor pong I can only put down to site/ bottle age.
The wine is ripe- varietal without knocking you over. Cassis on the nose follows through on the palate, the texture is velvety in an almost warm climate Australian Cabernet way. Tannins are fine and understated, and French oak (80% new) has been largely absorbed.

Reasonably intense and fruity at the start, it drops away quite quickly in a classic doughnut cabernet way, and though it does not finish with a whimper, there is minimal length. On the finish is a herbal, leafy bitterness that adds a bit of interest and steers this away from sweet fruit bomb territory, though there is some acidity on the finish that is a bit harsh (especially if you are sensitive to it). The longer it was opened the more the acidity stood out as not being properly integrated or prominent, possibly as a result of the wine being in the process of falling over.

While not a bad wine, there are superior Australian and New Zealand Cabernets to be had locally at the same price. Furthermore, if you were buying an Argentinean red, Malbec would definitely be my preference based on what was tasted in-country.

Rating:

 / 88*  possibly 2 years past its best.

ABV: 13.5%

RRP: $30 (retail in Argentina)

Website: http://www.catenawines.com/

Royal Sydney Wine Show - 2011

Anyone who follows wine shows would realise that they come up with some strange results. I can partially understand this. Tasting in groups, in a very short period of time, and the inevitable palate fatigue that comes with tasting multiple wines, will inevitably lead to some slightly odd results. However, even accepting all that, the results I see each year at the Royal Sydney show are bizarre and generally at all odds with how the same wines are critically reviewed in other contexts. This year’s Royal Sydney Wine Show was true to form in this regard. Some less than impressive wines won Gold Medals and even trophies, while plenty of superb wine didn’t even merit a Bronze.

In any case I shouldn’t complain too much as the show affords me with an opportunity to taste an amazing range of quality Australian wine. Generally speaking I was most impressed with the Semillons and the Cabernets this year, with numerous wines showing beautifully.


Semillon

This was probably the one varietal where the Show results came close to approximating the quality of the actual wines. With a couple of different classes on show I was able to taste Semillons from 1999 through to 2010. The best examples have years ahead of them. Several vintages of Tyrrell’s Vat 1, Thomas Braemore, Meerea Park Alexander Munro, and Mount Pleasant Lovedale all impressed. I haven’t previously had many Lovedales, but tasting through a number of different vintages highlighted to me the outstanding pedigree of this vineyard and wine. It certainly tastes like it’s from somewhere, and the texture with this wine is lovely. It might be an expensive Hunter Semillon, but all things considered I think it warrants it.


Cabernet

The quality of Cabernet coming out of the Margaret River shone through here. Cape Mentelle, Voyager, Juniper Estate, and Vasse Felix all had several vintages of their premium Cabernet on show, and more or less across the board they presented beautifully. I’ve previously mentioned how much I was looking forward to trying the 08 and 09 Juniper Estate (http://redtobrownwinereview.blogspot.com/2010/10/juniper-estate.html), and this was my first taste of both, and there was certainly no let down. Both looked great. Quality, complex Cabernets. From 2007-2009 it’s pretty hard to go wrong with any of the above wineries. Of course many of these wonderful wines didn’t even warrant a bronze apparently.

Heading a bit further South down to Great Southern I tasted my wine of the day in the 2008 Houghton Jack Mann Cabernet. This wine actually got a deserved gold medal. It tasted like a Jack Mann and a very, very good Jack Mann at that. I found it hard to wipe the smile off my face as I tasted this wine. Power with restraint, a balance between the fruit and savoury flavours, tannic impact and great length. No spitting here. A wine to save your pennies for.

The other Cabernet I was very impressed by was the 08 Lindeman’s St George from the Coonawarra. A beautifully structured single vineyard wine with rippling tannin, I need a few of these for the cellar as well. It’s great to see the revival of this wine.

All up a great day of tasting. The trick is to ignore medals and instead focus on maker and vintage.



Red

2007 Mollydooker Two Left Feet Shiraz Cabernet Merlot

Edit: After reading a set of reviews posted by Andrew Graham on his Australian Wine Review blog (see the reviews and comments HERE), I did a quick browse of my own scores for certain wines. Looking at this review, it is painfully obvious that I over-rated it. At RedtoBrown, we have tended to post reviews of wines we rate above 85. For me personally, I do not want to spend my (increasingly limited) spare blogging time savaging a wine when I can praise, or critically asses a much more interesting, challenging wine (or try and produce some wine satire that invariably misses the mark, while drinking an interesting wine :-) ).

Nevertheless, I have written up notes on a few wines that I did not enjoy, partially to discuss the style of wine in question or query the judgement of the winery/corporation in releasing certain wines (see the Rosemount Botannicals post  (LINK) for arguably my most strident, negative review).

I did not enjoy this wine. It did not grow on me. It is made in a style I am not a fan of (a style foreign wine drinkers and critics think of when discussing Australian red wines). Looking back on the tasting notes, and my thoughts on the 2 bottles I tried 6 months apart, a rating of 86 points/3 stars is wildly inaccurate, and has to be addressed. The new, more accurate (in my view) score is below. Apologies for the flip flop; I do not have the time or desire to re-taste some wines I have my doubts on (and largely, I am happy with the calls made on most of the wine notes posted), but this one had to be addressed.

PS - thanks to Andrew Graham for leading the way in posting notes that are an honest view of what ones palate is telling them and not a complex calculation of fashion, wine trends, expectation and cliches.


I will have to come out first by stating that as an Australian, I had never heard of the slang term ‘mollydooker’ being used to describe left handed people until the winery of the same name stormed onto the scene in a rush of Parker points around 2005. If forced to offer up an Australian slang term for a left hander, ‘cackhanded’ would be my pick. Though not a national or personal emergency if it happened, the winery may be partly responsible for convincing Americans that we walk around our outback towns calling left handed people mollydookers.

In much the same way, Parkerised wines like the Mollydooker Two Left Feet have for some time been convincing Americans that Australia makes two styles of wine – the very cheap critter variety (Yellowtail, Koala Blue, random labels most Aussies will have never heard of) and the 90+ pointed Robert Parker blockbuster fruit bombs. Unlike the use or misuse of Australian slang, this perception, whether true or imagined, is definitely not the reality, and is not healthy for the Australian wine industry.

To set the scene, the wine being reviewed, the Two Left Feet is black-purple in colour. Following a ‘Mollydooker shake’ as instructed, its sweet nose of liqueur black fruit and tobacco enmeshes with spirity, pure alcohol fumes. There are porty black fruit flavours on the front palate, leading to bitter dark chocolate (both from heavy oak and fruit) on the middle and back palate, finishing in a crescendo of more bitter dark chocolate, porty black and some blue fruit, salty hard liquorice and a hit of powerful alcohol heat. The wine is not structurally out of control, though the alcohol is out of balance with everything else.

On day two, with ample time in the decanter, the flavour profile had not budged – if anything, the alcohol was more prominent. 2007 was a difficult vintage in the McLaren Vale, which would explain the harsh, bitter tannins evident (quite common in many of the MV Shiraz and Cabernet I have tried from that vintage), and might also explain the very high alcohol level that dominates the wine. However, this wine has obviously been made in a certain style regardless of vintage conditions, and it shows in the glass.

On reflection, the 07 Mollydooker Two Left Feet fits the pantomime villain description you see in wine forums criticising the style of Australian wines highly rated by Robert Parker and Wine Advocate. Unlike some of the Australian wines Parker rates highly, this wine conforms to many of the stereotypes: high alcohol clearly evident (16%abv, but more like 18%), porty, liqueur black fruit, difficult if not impossible to match with any food and too much to drink by itself (or to have more than one glass in one sitting). Yet this style of wine still sells in America, albeit in reduced quantities and for reduced prices.

However, there is hope. The way Australian Chardonnay has evolved since the ‘Sunshine in a glass / Dolly Parton’ era shows that the style of wine being made by wineries previously blessed with ‘Parker points’ could evolve in time, turning down the alcohol levels by several degrees, selecting fruit that is less over-ripe, and reining in the use of new (mostly American) oak.

Furthermore, the introduction of Lisa Perrotti Brown as the Asian/Australian rep for Wine Advocate (and noting her relatively high scores given to some Hunter Valley Reds early last year) suggests that such a move may actually be rewarded and not punished by Wine Advocate in the future.

Whether the aforementioned hope is realised, and whether wines made in the style of the Two Left Feet evolve accordingly remains to be seen. However, in light of the milieu the Australian wine industry finds itself in, it would be of assistance if this was the case.

Rating:
77 points (formerly 3 stars, 86 points)

ABV:16%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.mollydookerwines.com.au/

2007 Te Mata Estate Awatea Cabernet/Merlot (Retail)

Based on some of the press coming from New Zealand, the Hawkes Bay wine region has aspirations of matching Bordeaux in terms of the quality of the Cabernet blends they produce. Aim for the stars to clear the trees I say. RedtoBrown have been impressed with the wines we have tried from Hawkes Bay in the past, and at the entry-level, the Awatea is one of them. What stands out primarily with the Awatea (and also its TeMata big brother, the Coleraine) is its relative 'New World' austerity and restraint. There is sometimes balancing act between restraint and lack of fruit flavour/diluteness, though that is not an issue for this wine.

The Awatea (40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot) has a slightly herbaceous nose with capsicum and tobacco, though a pretty blueberry scent dominates. It is medium bodied, no more, and savoury.
An understated entry gives way to blackcurrants and medicinal herbs on the mid palate. Some more tobacco pops up on the finish, along with a prominent herbaceous bitterness (which may divide opinion, but I was a fan). Tannins are very fine and chalky, and the oak is subsiding a bit from when I first tasted it (yet not overpowering the fruit).

In summary, an elegant, restrained wine that may lack the oomph of some of the Aussie versions I know and love, though has enough weight to support its fine boned structure. I would like to try this wine with 5-10 more years of bottle age.

Rated

RRP: $45
ABV:14%
Website: http://www.temata.co.nz/

World Class Australian Cabernet – Langton’s Classification V Tasting

Brown and I attended the Langton’s Classification V Tasting in Sydney earlier in the week. It was a bit testing at times in terms of the crowds, but nevertheless a wonderful tasting. It afforded me the opportunity to try numerous wines that are considered genuine Australian benchmarks, many of which are either too expensive or too rare for me to typically get my hands on. While I certainly didn’t get to try every wine there, I did manage to try pretty much every wine I hadn’t tried previously, as well as a number of great wines that I had.

There was some amazing Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot, and Shiraz to be had on the night, but the highlight for me really was the Cabernet. As a Cabernet lover this is perhaps not surprising, but I genuinely thought the quality across the board was outstanding. I’ve had a few people who have drunk plenty of Bordeaux suggest to me that, with the exception of the very best bottles of Bordeaux, Australian Cabernet is the equal of any on the world stage. The Cabernet I drunk this night would certainly be supportive of this supposition.

Margaret River stood tall, with many 07s and a number of 08s on show, reinforcing my belief that it’s Australia’s greatest combination of region and grape variety. Coonawarra was also well represented with some wonderful wines. This of course is what you would expect from Australia’s two premier Cabernet regions. There were however, also, some wonderful examples from the Clare Valley, Tasmania, and the Yarra Valley. Below were my favourite Cabernets on the night

2008 Yarra Yering Dry Red No.1 (Yarra Valley, $75, cork) – This is one of those wines that had me with my first sniff of its fragrant, yet complex bouquet. On the palate it’s medium-bodied and elegant, and yet still intense with beautiful sweet and savoury flavours. Defined more by its natural acidity than its tannins. This is just going to get better and better. My wine of the night.

2001 Domaine A Cabernet Sauvignon (Coal River, $91, cork) – I’d always been intrigued and bit sceptical of this wine (not having ever tried it) as a Cabernet from Tasmania. Tasmania being more or less the coldest part of Australia is more readily associated with Pinot Noir. Like any broad regions however, specific sub-regions and sites can make a huge difference and according to Peter Althaus, Domaine A’s winemaker, their site for Cabernet Sauvignon in the Coal River has less problems ripening grapes than Bordeaux does. Peter had brought along the museum release 2001 for people to taste so as to demonstrate how this wine ages. For me it stood out as different from the other Cabernets I tried on the night and yet also a quintessential Cabernet. Some lovely leafy and capsicum notes mingled with berry and blackcurrant fruit. Perfectly balanced and built to age. All scepticism has been wiped away.

2008 Wendouree Cab Malbec (Clare Valley, Cork) – Wendouree has been one of those wineries that has held a bit of a mythical status for me ever since I first read some of Halliday’s writings about them a number of years ago. As he wrote about them requiring 20 years minimum in the cellar and described them as an iron-fist in a velvet glove it immediately enamoured me to Wendouree and made me think that it was a winery that ought to be part of any cellar I was going to build. The fact that they have been so removed from the mainstream of websites, cellar doors, and sample sending only increased my interest in the winery. In the past couple of years as I have had both the means and the opportunity to purchase some Wendouree, however, I’ve just held off as I’ve heard and read quite a few dissenting voices who have questioned the quality of these wines. Having now tasted the wine I can cast these doubting voices aside and look to add Wendouree to my cellar shortlist. The 2008 is very much as Halliday has often described the Cab Malbec with a lush, fragrant nose followed up by a powerful, rich and mouth smackingly tannic palate. Love it! Happily these wines will apparently be under screwcap in future as well (the Cabernet that never dies?).

2007 Cape Mentelle (Margaret River, $85, Screwcap) – Prior to trying the Cape Mentelle I tried the 08 Cullen Diana Madeline, which I found to be an interesting, atypical Margaret River Cabernet. I doubt I would have picked it blind as being from Margaret River. It was in a medium-bodied, almost dilute style, that doesn’t deliver much in the way of enjoyment now, though the quality is there to suggest it could build with time in the cellar. Anyway, the reason for that little aside on Cullen, was that it contrasted so vividly with the Cape Mentelle which to me was just classic Margaret River. My beloved gravel was there on the bouquet, and it was a ripe, powerful yet nevertheless restrained Cabernet. Beautiful structure. Could drink this sought of wine with alarming regularity for my bank balance

2006 John Riddoch (Coonawarra, $75, Screwcap)- Rippling tannin. I love to see powerful tannins in young wines and the John Riddoch has this element in spades. Importantly, however, the tannins never overwhelm the wine and the fruit is more than up to the task through the long finish. This should age into something quite special over the next couple of decades.

I already have some of the John Riddoch in the cellar. Now to explain to the missus why the other four Cabernets are such must buys despite the price tags . . .

Juniper Estate

It wouldn’t surprise me if in a decade’s time we are talking about Juniper as one of the very top Margaret River estates . . .

On the surface of things you’d think it would already be one of the premier Margaret River wineries. It was one of the earlier vineyards planted in Margaret River, being 1973, so the vines have a nice bit of age to them. The vineyards are also in the prestigious sub-region of Wilyabrup, and its neighbours are Vasse Felix and Cullen. With this combination of age and location you’d think you might be on to a winner. Of course producing great wine is never quite so simple

The vines themselves need to be in robust health, and this was lacking when Roger Hill and Gillian Anderson bought it off the original owners in 1998. At the same time Mark Messenger came across from Cape Mentelle as the winemaker. From that time work began on restoring the vineyard including retrellising along with new plantings. Mark reckons that this work in the vineyard really started to demonstrate its worth in the 2005 vintage. 2006 was of course a bit of a tough vintage in the Margaret River (especially for reds), but then 2007 came along and this could well be the breakthrough year for Juniper.

I’ve written about the 07 Cabernet Sauvignon in a previous post - http://tinyurl.com/26bvpfv - and I was able to try it again at an excellent tasting at North Sydney Cellars, where Mark Messenger guided us through a range of Juniper wines. It was an impressive collection across both their entry level “Crossing” wines as well as their Estate wines. As well as the traditional Margaret River varieties, Juniper are doing some interesting things with both Tempranillo and Zinfandel. The only wine I wasn't such a fan of was the Sem Sav Blanc, but that might say more about my tastes than the wine itself. The highlight, however, remained the 07 Cab Sav. It just reaffirmed my view that it is one of my wines of the year thus far and the best Margaret River Cabernet I have had from the 07 vintage.

After the tasting I had the opportunity to have a good chat with Mark. He’s a lovely, modest guy, who nevertheless demonstrates a real passion for what he is doing and is very forthcoming in talking about all things wine. An interesting aspect that we discussed was the importance of the addition of 1-2% of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot in the 07. Apparently the straight Cab Sav would have made a good wine on its own, but lacked just a little both in terms of length and complexity. It took a long time to get the blend right, but once in balance, these small amounts of Bordeaux varieties were really important in building the wine into something special.

This 07 could well be backed up by wines of similar or even greater stature in 2008 and 2009. Mark is of the opinion that these two vintages will ultimately prove to be better than the much proclaimed 2007 (interestingly while he thinks 2010 is a decent vintage, he’s of the opinion it’s certainly not a great vintage). Cabernets from 08 and 09 mightn’t initially show as well as 07 but will likely prove more classic, finely structured vintages. Specifically for the Juniper Cabernet these excellent vintages are matched by the continuing improvement of the vineyard, and as such has Mark pretty excited about the next two releases.

I’m generally too young in wine drinking years to be able to reminisce about when such and such a wine was only $7 and the like, and while $45 is no bargain basement price for the Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon, it may well look inexpensive 10 years from now . . .


Red

2007 Juniper Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River)

A long-term Margaret River Cabernet of genuine complexity.

I don’t often remark on the colour of a wine but this wine is a beautiful crimson purple. The impression the colour creates is more than backed up by what comes next. The wine delivers a complex nose that is at this stage just giving hints of what will almost surely be a magnificent bouquet with another 10 years. Over the course of two days it opened up revealing different aromas at different stages including blackcurrant, berries, chocolate, cinnamon, violets, gravel, and herbs. A lot of descriptors I know, but such is the quality and complexity of the wine.

As with the nose, the palate is yet to unfurl itself, and at this stage is more about its impeccable structure and sense of balance. There’s beautiful ripe fruit with many of the flavours listed above along with some earthiness, all of which is supported by good acidity, fine tannins, and a long savoury finish.

This is a wine that is understated and yet delivers in all areas. It should be left alone for at least another 5 years before being opened. Top shelf Margaret River Cabernet. 4.5 Stars.

Details
Rated:


RRP: $44
ABV: 14%
Website: www.juniperestate.com.au

2006 St Huberts Cabernet Sauvignon

St Huberts is a winery of real history. It was founded in 1862 and had a rather illustrious history in its first 50 years, but then like the rest of the Yarra it was turned over to dairy in the first half of the 20th century as the effects of the Great Depression hit hard. St Huberts returned in 1966 as one of the first to replant vines in the Yarra Valley.

This is a wine that grew on me as it opened up over a couple of hours. It’s medium-bodied and well balanced. It’s a Cabernet that has a nice bit of style about it. The leafy nose is supported by aromas of blackcurrant, plum, and a hint of Christmas cake. The tasty palate has the same flavours along with some toasty oak. There is a slightly hollow mid-palate, as can be the case with Cabernet, but it has a good, slightly sour finish supported by fine tannins.

Not a wine to be blown away by, but one that fans of Cabernet will enjoy. I think it will continue to improve over the next 5 years, and possibly longer depending on how the cork holds up.

Details
Rated:


RRP: $30
ABV: 14.5%
Website: www.sthuberts.com.au


Red

2006 Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon – Nagambie Lakes (Retail)

Is there a winery producing better quality, cellarable reds in the sub $20 price range in Australia at the moment?

I’ve had more of their Shiraz than Cabernet, though I really enjoyed their 05 Cabernet. I think I like the 06 even more.

It’s a savoury, somewhat rustic wine that tastes like it’s a Tahbilk, and yet it has enough clean, tasty fruit to keep most people happy. It has a perfumed nose with some floral, violet aromas, along with blackcurrant, earth, and well integrated oak. On the front palate there is some nice sweet fruit, but from there it’s all savoury. It’s long and nicely balanced, with hints of mint and salt, and a dry finish of some nice sour and bitter flavours. The tannins are a superb element to this wine. They’re very fine and integrated, but nevertheless noticeable in the way they provide weight and structure to the wine and give it its dry, slightly puckering finish. This wine will do 10 years in a canter and how much longer than that probably just depends on how well you cellar it. Superb wine for the price.

Details
Rated:


RRP: $17
ABV: 14.5%
Website: www.tahbilk.com.au


Red

2005 Huntington Estate Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Cellar Door)

Huntington is arguably Mudgee’s most famous winery, having been started in 1969 by Bob Roberts. Bob Roberts was one of the Bulletin Place crowd of the 60's and 70's that was headed by Len Evans and included other like James Halliday. Whereas Halliday and Evans set up wineries in the Hunter Valley, Roberts decided to go further afield and settled on Mudgee. Given this history, I was really interested to try Huntington wines on my recent visit there.

Good Mudgee reds tend to have a rusticity to them that I personally find appealing. Typically they will be held back a few years more than wines from most other regions and in terms of characteristics generally display an earthiness, along with elegant, drying tannins. As such, the 2005 Huntington Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is very much a Mudgee red.

It’s not the darkest of reds and this wine already has a brickish element to it. The lovely bouquet on this wine is its highlight, with well integrated aromas of chocolate, berry fruit, earth, and a hint of coconut. It’s one of those wines that you keep going back to the nose, with its complexity always offering something slightly different. On the palate its medium bodied, has decent line and length, with those lovely chocolate and berry flavours and a pleasant drying earthiness. The only issue I have with it is a bit of volatile acidity, but this doesn’t detract too much from the overall enjoyment that the wine delivers. It’s a wine that is nicely balanced between its earthy, rustic characteristics, and it’s sweeter, fruitier elements. It’s drinking really well right now, and as long as that touch of volatile acidity becomes better integrated, I think it could become quite a beautiful aged Cabernet in 5-10 years.

Details
Rated:+


ABV: 13.0%
RRP: $35
Website: www.huntingtonestate.com.au


Red

2006 Rosby Cabernet Sauvignon - (Cellar Door)

I’ve previously written about the unique nature of the Rosby vineyard in Mudgee and their 06 Shiraz -

http://redtobrownwinereview.blogspot.com/2010/04/2006-rosby-shiraz-mudgee-16-cellar-door.html

Their 06 Cabernet Sauvignon and 06 Shiraz are two wines that absolutely smell and taste of being from the same place, however the Cab Sav is a step up from the Shiraz (noting that I really enjoyed the Shiraz). The difference between the two wines is the natural difference between the grape varieties and the fact that cab sav performs better in Mudgee (in my opinion).

A rich, fragrant nose of blackcurrant, plum, earth, and chocolate. On the palate it has structure, balanced tannins, and persistence. The flavours on the front-mid palate are those which are on the nose, but the finish of the wine is slightly more savoury, with a hint of sourness. As a wine it really has a lot in common with its Shiraz sibling from the same vineyard, but it is just that much more complex, structured, and simply enjoyable. Has at least another 5 years in it, and possibly a lot longer. Fantastic value at $18 a bottle!

Details
Rated:



ABV: 13.6%
RRP: $18 (in a case, cellar door)
Website: www.rosby.com.au


Red

2007 Tobacco Road Cabernet Sauvignon (Gundagai, Big Rivers, Heathcote) $13 - Retail

Tobacco Road is the quaffer range of the Victorian Alps Wine Company (Gapsted being their premier label). What sparked my interest was that it included some fruit from Gundagai (along with the Big Rivers and Heathcote among others).


At $13 a bottle, do not be expecting a complex, heady mix of dusty, spicy fruit (or Red’s pet Cab descriptor –gravel). On the nose there are oodles of sweet vanilla, jammy blackcurrant and even some strawberry cream lollies. The palate is soft, round and juicy, minimal tannin and acid, and average intensity. What it lacks in line and length it makes up with juicy gluggable (if non-varietal) fruit. It does not finish with any bitter or mouth-coating tannin (the curse for me of the entry-level Cabernet), nor is it sickly or cloyingly sweet (I would put out a Lost in Space ‘Warning’ on this wine to any cool climate pepper-fiend).

Given the modest price, it is what it is – an uncomplicated, full flavoured and highly quaffable wine. I want to try some Gundagai-only wine one day, and any recommendations would be more than welcome.

2002 Sevenhill St Ignatius Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec.

I love the Clare Valley. For me it is always an under the radar region: It can produce good to great Riesling, Shiraz and Cabernet and is home to some lovely cellar doors (not to mention the home of Wendouree – enough said), yet seems to not receive the attention of other regions (at least from my view from Sydney).


My local wine shop at Randwick is stocking some wines from Sevenhill, the historic winery in the Clare Valley still being run by the Jesuits. The St Ignatius had some bottle age so I decided to give it a go.

It is a deep and dark crimson with brick tinted edges. On the nose it is all Christmas cake, dark berries, liquorice and spice, with suggestions of ripe Jammy fruit and coconut ice. A relatively smooth entry leads to a flurry of dark chocolate, cloves and menthol on the middle palate. The finish is quite long, with earthy, drying tannin on the finish that might be off putting for some, though I warmed to it.

As the wine saw more air the tannins softened, though there was still oodles of chocolate, fruit and nicely integrated oak. For the price it was a good value wine, and one I would recommend for those curious about Clare Valley Cabernet blends. Caesar’s interest was raised by the wine, and lept into the photo (presumably checking if the Jesuits were up to anything other than making wine), as is the want of a Caesar.

2008 Mike Press Cabernet Sauvignon ($10 from the cellar door, $14 retail Chambers Cellars)

The Mike Press range of wines (http://www.topdropwines.com.au/ ) became all the rage in 2007 when people realised their amazing value for money (including yours truly!). I have tried several bottles from the range in the last 18 months and must concur with all the positive reviews. If you are not familiar with this label, grab yourself a bottle. They are some of the best value wines on offer in Australia, and are pretty much dependable across the range, though especially with the red wines.

The 2008 Cabernet (and also the Shiraz from the same vintage) has distinctive vanilla oak on the nose and has medium to full bodied varietal dark berry fruit on the palate. The tannins were supple and the wine did not finish too hot or overly sweet (pleasant change for a wine in this price range). It could cellar for a few years, but is drinking very nicely now. For the price it is neither soft and simple or harsh and tannic, but ‘just right’. Mr Medvedev recommended it as well – a true peoples wine.