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Cabernet (and blends) celebration
Ben and Estella's place, Parramatta
Tasted June 12, 2022 by chatters with 217 views
Introduction
a tenth anniversary tasting of the first time we caught up for a sit down lunch. The theme today was, as it was then, Cabernet and blends.
the format was two brackets tasted blind and then a show of hands for favourite wines (you were allowed to vote multiple times for each bracket)
Flight 1 - Older/softer wines (8 notes)
A lot to like here...so easier to highlight my 'duds' which were the Bin 407 and the Reschke Empyrean...
Red
1989 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Served blind.
Medium minus intensity aromas of dusty red berries, baked earth, leather, brambles and blackberries. Sourly juicy on the palate, a little volatility, sweet spice, talc textured tannins are softly engaging, fruit and tertiary as per the nose. Nice.
Medium minus intensity aromas of dusty red berries, baked earth, leather, brambles and blackberries. Sourly juicy on the palate, a little volatility, sweet spice, talc textured tannins are softly engaging, fruit and tertiary as per the nose. Nice.
Red
1972 McWilliam's Cabernet Sauvignon
Served blind.
Medium minus intensity aromas of leather, earth, a little red and black currant. Juicy, slight sour, muted fruit, earth, dense but with a soft tannic burr, cream. Yum.
Medium minus intensity aromas of leather, earth, a little red and black currant. Juicy, slight sour, muted fruit, earth, dense but with a soft tannic burr, cream. Yum.
Red
1998 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407
Served blind.
Earthy, meaty, gamey, savoury, a little brambly fruit. Very slightly volatile as well on the nose. The volatility translates to the palate and lends a bit too much sourness for me.
Earthy, meaty, gamey, savoury, a little brambly fruit. Very slightly volatile as well on the nose. The volatility translates to the palate and lends a bit too much sourness for me.
Red
2010 Château Lafon-Rochet
Served blind.
Blackcurrant, sweet spice, balanced but doesn't belong in the 'old bracket' based on the nose - just a smidge of leather and a touch of earth with time in the glass but the tertiary only just coming through. Juicy, fleshy, vibrant, dark fruits, tannic burr. Yum.
Blackcurrant, sweet spice, balanced but doesn't belong in the 'old bracket' based on the nose - just a smidge of leather and a touch of earth with time in the glass but the tertiary only just coming through. Juicy, fleshy, vibrant, dark fruits, tannic burr. Yum.
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Red
2005 Château Belgrave
Served blind.
Meaty, savoury, leather, bold black fruits, a little Autumn leaves, quite meaty, a little sweet spice underpin. medium plus intensity is quite juicy, tight textured tannins dry things out, cedar, dark fruits, alcohol warmth is present but non-intrusive on the finish. All travel long. I think it needs time to come together or a good decant. Okay.
Meaty, savoury, leather, bold black fruits, a little Autumn leaves, quite meaty, a little sweet spice underpin. medium plus intensity is quite juicy, tight textured tannins dry things out, cedar, dark fruits, alcohol warmth is present but non-intrusive on the finish. All travel long. I think it needs time to come together or a good decant. Okay.
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Red
1998 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Served blind.
Blackcurrant and red currant as well, meaty, touch of tomato leaf, a little spice, leather. Sourly juicy acidity is a little sharp, red and blackcurrant, tannins are tightly engaging, a little chalky textured. Medium plus length. Okay.
Blackcurrant and red currant as well, meaty, touch of tomato leaf, a little spice, leather. Sourly juicy acidity is a little sharp, red and blackcurrant, tannins are tightly engaging, a little chalky textured. Medium plus length. Okay.
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Red
2004 Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Served blind.
medium minus intensity aromas initially, meaty, savoury, earthy, cream, leather, a little red over black hued fruit. Juicy, medium plus intensity acidity, red over blackcurrant again, leather, chalky tannins persist long hand in hand with the fruit. Very nice.
medium minus intensity aromas initially, meaty, savoury, earthy, cream, leather, a little red over black hued fruit. Juicy, medium plus intensity acidity, red over blackcurrant again, leather, chalky tannins persist long hand in hand with the fruit. Very nice.
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Red
1998 Reschke Cabernet Sauvignon Empyrean
Served blind.
Baked black fruits, a little sweet spice, touch of volatility, smells young in this bracket, violet. Sharply adjusted acidity, loads of alcohol, quite cough medicine. Tight tannins. Meh.
Baked black fruits, a little sweet spice, touch of volatility, smells young in this bracket, violet. Sharply adjusted acidity, loads of alcohol, quite cough medicine. Tight tannins. Meh.
Flight 2 - Younger/more vibrant wines (8 notes)
The Moss Wood was probably the biggest disappointment in this bracket. The Heartland was just plain bad. In retrospect I think the Woodlands Margaret was very good...but plenty of other big bold beauties here as well...
Red
2018 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
Served blind.
Clean, blackcurrant, brambles, sweet spice, toast. Medium plus intensity acidity feels adjusted, tight tannins are grainy, sweet spice, blackcurrant, alcohol warmth on the finish. Nice fruit but the alcohol and acid are out of whack. Hmm.
Clean, blackcurrant, brambles, sweet spice, toast. Medium plus intensity acidity feels adjusted, tight tannins are grainy, sweet spice, blackcurrant, alcohol warmth on the finish. Nice fruit but the alcohol and acid are out of whack. Hmm.
Red
2008 Château Léoville Barton
Served blind.
blackcurrant, brambles, plums, sweet spice. Medium plus intensity acidity, slightly sour blackcurrant, a little brambles, long, tannins are talc textured, persistent, finishes slightly bitter. Okay.
blackcurrant, brambles, plums, sweet spice. Medium plus intensity acidity, slightly sour blackcurrant, a little brambles, long, tannins are talc textured, persistent, finishes slightly bitter. Okay.
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Red
2016 Elderton Cabernet Sauvignon Ashmead Single Vineyard
Served blind.
Ripe black fruits, very slightly reductive, sweet spice, slight alcohol warmth, with agitation a little jubey blackcurrant, cedar. Medium plus intensity acidity, lovely tannic burr is slightly coarse, ripe black fruits, a little alcohol warmth intrusion on the finish. Hmm. Obvious quality in that ripe extracted way but not for me.
Ripe black fruits, very slightly reductive, sweet spice, slight alcohol warmth, with agitation a little jubey blackcurrant, cedar. Medium plus intensity acidity, lovely tannic burr is slightly coarse, ripe black fruits, a little alcohol warmth intrusion on the finish. Hmm. Obvious quality in that ripe extracted way but not for me.
Red
2016 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon
Served blind.
Blue and blackberry over blackcurrant, sweet spice, slight alcohol prickle, cream, controlled polished oak, a little pyrazine. Medium plus acidity is over adjusted, black fruits, drying chalky tannins, a little yeast extract. Long. Hmm.
Blue and blackberry over blackcurrant, sweet spice, slight alcohol prickle, cream, controlled polished oak, a little pyrazine. Medium plus acidity is over adjusted, black fruits, drying chalky tannins, a little yeast extract. Long. Hmm.
Red
2013 Woodlands Margaret
Served blind.
Blackcurrant; quite wild fruit, sweet spice, slight herbaceous underpin. Simple nose but pleasant. Juicy acidity tends to medium plus intensity acidity, red berry joins the blackcurrant fruit, persistent tannins. Alcohol encroaches on the finish but this is nice regardless.
Blackcurrant; quite wild fruit, sweet spice, slight herbaceous underpin. Simple nose but pleasant. Juicy acidity tends to medium plus intensity acidity, red berry joins the blackcurrant fruit, persistent tannins. Alcohol encroaches on the finish but this is nice regardless.
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Red
2017 Francis Ford Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Collection Black Label Claret
Served blind.
Red and blackberry and currant, vanilla, sweet spice. Biscuit and toast, lovely jubey note shows with agitation. Juicy, soft, red and black fruit, softly engaging with a slight tannic burr, long. Rather charming but lacks typicity. Feels like someone got over-excited by the prospect of micro ox.
Red and blackberry and currant, vanilla, sweet spice. Biscuit and toast, lovely jubey note shows with agitation. Juicy, soft, red and black fruit, softly engaging with a slight tannic burr, long. Rather charming but lacks typicity. Feels like someone got over-excited by the prospect of micro ox.
Red
2013 Heartland Cabernet Sauvignon Langhorne Creek
Served blind.
A little herbaceous note, quite green capsicum over blackcurrant, sweet spice. Juicy acid, baked black fruits, a little clay, soft tannins. Hmm
A little herbaceous note, quite green capsicum over blackcurrant, sweet spice. Juicy acid, baked black fruits, a little clay, soft tannins. Hmm
Red
2011 Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Served blind.
Ripe, Ribena, backed by a little sweet spice, blackcurrant, very slightly herbaceous underpin, polished oak, a little farty note. Nice nose. Juicy, fleshy, rich, ripe, blackberry and blackcurrant, a little plum. Tannins are tight but controlled, alcohol warmth on the finish is not intrusive. Lovely.
Ripe, Ribena, backed by a little sweet spice, blackcurrant, very slightly herbaceous underpin, polished oak, a little farty note. Nice nose. Juicy, fleshy, rich, ripe, blackberry and blackcurrant, a little plum. Tannins are tight but controlled, alcohol warmth on the finish is not intrusive. Lovely.
Flight 3 - Pudding (1 note)
what a treat - yes 2004 isn't considered a great vintages but this was yummy
White - Sweet/Dessert
2004 Château Doisy-Daëne
Apricot compote, sweet spice, slight vanilla, slight orange marmalade underpin. Juicy, fleshy, sweet, similar flavour profile. Nice.
Closing
Lots of fun things to enjoy. I tended more to the Bordeaux than most other people.