Archive for the ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ Category
Saturday, August 21st, 2010
A long week and I am tired; but here we go. I bought a couple of bottles of this two weeks ago, and I really liked the first bottle. Anyway, I procrastinated and when I went back to buy some more it was all gone. So I tried a couple of other sources, but ended up going to the dark side to procure a six pack. $35 per bottle. Still not a bad investment.
A dense nose, black fruits and olives, with notes of chocolate, vanilla and cream. The palate is fine, firm tannins with balanced fruits, neither Cabernet nor Shiraz dominating (apparently two thirds of the former and one third of the latter), chock full of silky black fruits, tapenade, nutmeg, a touch of leaf (or is that just me just expecting that of a Coonawarra Cabernet). A lovely blend – I am glad to have a few bottles in the cellar. Fingers crossed it will age well. 13.5% abv. Drink 2013-2023. 93 points.
Posted in $20 to $50, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style | 1 Comment »
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
I am slowly finishing off all my Tahbilks. Very slowly. I think I like the idea of them more than the actual drinking. You know, the old skool label, the tradition, low-ish alcohol levels, no fancy oak treatments, no silly names like the Swamp Frog Cabernet, or the Masked Egret Shiraz. All that kind of stuff. Though apparently with the recent releases there have been some changes and the wines themselves are crackers, so perhaps I should re-assess. This one was consumed over 2 nights. Initially, a nose showing bacon fat, eucalypt, savoury cherry and plummy fruits, followed by a truly weird palate: raspberries and an intense confection like those old Allens Redskin sticks I used to scoff waiting for the 160 bus to take me home after school. Also showed quite a bit of acid, and certainly looked a lot better with food. Much in the same way a Beaujolais does. After a while it cleaned up a bit, showing black cherries, mint and eucalypt with a lick of liquorice, but it still had that confected edge. 85 points is about right I think. 13.0% abv. Sealed under cork. Drink now, but should hold a while.
Posted in Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nagambie Lakes, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style, up to $20 | 3 Comments »
Saturday, August 14th, 2010
Nothing positive to report here. And I think at the moment it does need a bit of a decant to dissipate some of the more alpine characters. On the nose, pine needles, red berries, plums and red currants followed by some spearmint, and with time, malt and more pine needles. The palate shows some red fruits and liquorice, but is dominated by pine needles and mint. Reasonable fruit flavours and nice acid, but accompanied by the pine refresher goodness. Maybe I am getting more critical, or perhaps I’m losing my marbles (which is a strange expression really), but I think this wine is just tolerable. Sealed under cork. 14.5% abv. 83 points.
Posted in $20 to $50, Australia, Barossa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
I have been re-organising the cellar and found a lone bottle of this wine. 2000 was a difficult vintage in South Australia, wasn’t it? Or maybe that was just in the Barossa Valley. Anyway, I decided that this wine’s number was up. Oh, I should mention I also discovered a small enclave of 1996 and 2001 Magill Estate Shiraz – I am planning to cook something nice on the weekend and will crack a bottle or two. But I digress. With the wine swirling in the glass, I see it has a dull red colour, with perhaps a touch of bricking. On the nose, blackberries, milk chocolate, old pepper spices, a sweet confection, with a touch of earthy compost and smoke. The palate is still showing some fruit sweetness, with bouncy black and red fruits, blackberries and raspberries, leathery complexity and a touch of stalkiness; still brightly acidic. No hard or firm tannins; it seems pretty well integrated. Not a classic 389, but still enjoyable. 13.5% abv. 88 points. Drink now to 2014.
Posted in $20 to $50, Australia, Barossa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Notes, Padthaway, Price, Varietal/Style | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
I have been re-organising the cellar and found 2 bottles of this wine. No ullage to speak of. Still a deep red in colour, with no sign of aging. An attractive nose, red currants and black olives, with some leaf, and an almost tapenade-like concentration and intensity. The palate showed some red fruits, tobacco leaf and quite a bit of tangy acid. Still has some firm tannins; could do with some more time and some softening. Drank better after 3 or 4 hours, but never terribly complex. Missed the last glass because my wife nicked it. Drink 2013+.
Posted in $20 to $50, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style, Yarra Valley | 4 Comments »
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Just a short note on this one. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Shiraz and 10% Cabernet Franc from the Whalebone Vineyard in Wrattonbully. On the nose, milk chocolate, blackcurrants, mulberries, iodine and a touch of tomato leaf and smokiness. The palate is nicely tannined and pleasantly textured, showing red and black fruits with dusty spices, a creamy mouthfeel and a leafy edge. Lovely balance, and very easy drinking indeed. Sealed under cork. About $70 on release I think. 14.5% abv. Drink 2010-2017. 93 points
Posted in $50 to $100, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Price, Varietal/Style, Wrattonbully | No Comments »
Friday, February 26th, 2010
I think this has been out for a while. From the Yalumba website, this wine was apparently matured for 12 months in 18% new oak barrels, with the mix of oak being 59% American, 35% French and 6% Hungarian. A powerful nose, and chock full of goodness, blackberries and blackcurrants, spice and cedar, earth, choc-mint and a touch of green olives. The palate is flavoursome, with black fruits and red liquorice, soft chocolateyness, and tannins that initially are soft but seem to harden a bit at the end of the palate. Terrifyingly easy to drink. Sealed under screwcap. $15.19 from Dan Murphys, and at that price I think it warrants at least a six pack purchase. Drink 2010-2013+. 88 points.
Posted in Australia, Barossa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style, up to $20 | 2 Comments »
Friday, February 19th, 2010
2007 was a good year in the Hunter for reds. A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 14% Petit Verdot. Opened for 4 hours before tasting. Colour-wise, a black core with red edges. Smell-wise, black fruits, cola, cedar, vanilla, herbs and a touch of sarsaparilla. Young. Taste-wise, currants and raspberries, earth and spice, cloves, cedar, savoury fruits with a drying edge. Smooth with good tannins. A touch of something tinny or metallic on the finish, but only a smidge. Lovely drinking now and should do 10 years plus, as is typical for the marque. Sealed under cork. $55. 13% abv. Drink 2010-2017+. 92 points.
Posted in $50 to $100, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Hunter Valley, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style | 2 Comments »
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
From the stable of the Barons de Rothschild, which in Bordeaux also includes Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Rieussec, Château L’Évangile, Château Paradis Casseuil and Château Peyre-Lebade. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. Tasted over 2 nights, and to be honest was a bit like the stereotypical teenager: geeky and disjoint, gave nothing and just took took took. An odd nose: graphite, dried red currants, dusty cedar, milk chocolate, horse hair, pencilly oak with some cloves. A dry palate, some red curranty fruit, with vanilla pod, cinnamon quill, dry spices and dry herbs, and a barky finish. Savoury and red, and seems to be almost fighting against itself at the moment. Hopefully time with see it improve.
Rated : 88+? Points
Tasted : Dec09
Alcohol : 13%
Price : $90
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2012+
Source : Cellar
Website : Lafite
Posted in $50 to $100, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, France, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
I picked this up from a friend at Fridays, and after 30 minutes in the fridge it was ready to rock’n'roll. Quite a rich nose, blackberries and dusty plums, tobacco and spices, all served up with a sliver of chocolate cake. The palate is smooth, showing black berries and cedar, liquorice, a touch of cola and leaf, with a hint of caramel on the finish. Tasty indeed, and almost slutty in its givingness. Lovely balance, liquid tannins and good persistence. A fine wine from the Granite Belt.
Rated : 92 Points
Tasted : Nov09
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $50
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2010-2016+
Source : Fridays
Website : Witches Fall
Posted in $50 to $100, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Granite Belt, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style | 1 Comment »