St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Vertical spanning 3 Decades (Merce's Castle): Our first screw capped bottle and it showed. This was very closed even after a 2 hour decant. Muted nose not giving much away. First sip showed plenty of white pepper, mint and spice. Up to now probably the most different St Hugo in the line-up. Big and dense with a medium finish. Maybe would show better with food? For me this was my least favourite vintage in the flight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent example of Coonawarra Cab, 1 hour decant - nose cigar box, eucalypt & touch of fruit - lovely powdery tannins, followed by a fading but firm line of acid and then wrapped with blackjack fruit with touches of oak around it - really very good and to my mind no rush at all
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent example of Coonawarra Cab, 1 hour decant - nose cigar box, eucalypt & touch of fruit - lovely powdery tannins, followed by a fading but firm line of acid and then wrapped with blackjack fruit with touches of oak around it - really very good and to my mind no rush
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I think past its best. Suspicious first taste - some promise but with a certain faded cardboard edge. Next hour and 24 hours got worse proving its past it. Disappointing for a well cellared Stelvin capped wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dumb on opening but blackcurrant on palate with a tight tannic finish. Day 2, this had opened up beautifully, with blackcurrant to the fore, some eucalypt and a firm finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank over two days and displayed the halmarks of a St Hugo Cabernet to the end. The wine did not open out as much as expected the second day and along with the slightly fiery finish in the mouth I am not sure it will improve much past here. It's a nice if not overly refined wine now so enjoy it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big high-end jam, prune and lead pencil nose with lots of high notes.Brambly, blood orange, slight aniseed in the mouth. Long finish of chocolate orange and apricot pip 60-90 seconds. No sediment present, so I'm guessing this will not improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a nicely balanced cabernet, its full bodied and has a lovely mouthfeel. The fruit sits well in the wine and its rich but delicate on the palate. It will be interesting to see if it develops further from here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Full, parody-fruity, forward nose with loads of mint and menthol. Cassis and toasty vanilla-oak. Tight and Mighty, but no layers. Young. Will be better with secondary aroma development. Medium-fullish, concentrated, very fruity palate. Nice acid. Dynamic tannins. Very succulent. Fiery, oaky finish. Unbalanced and with too much mint for my taste. Very Aussie with the mint. Very hard to see the elegance here...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind tasted. Deep purple and there was smoke... Intense nose of eucalyptus, menthol, dark cherries & plums, and cedar. Again eucalyptus on the palate, dark stone fruits, coffee, cocoa and above all bitingly strong alcohol. This needs more time and should have been decanted. Tasted much better on the second day without a vacuum pump since the alcohol better integrated. At first gave it 86 but moved up on the second day. Could be interesting in another 5-10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
{screwcap} Big, youthful nose of vanilla/coconut and bracken/cassis cabernet aromas. Rich ripe palate, not overdone; rather monolithic at this age; medium weight and length of finish; will take some time to develop much interest beyond typical young cab flavours. Seems one-dimensionally oaky right now; could settle down with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium red in colour, the nose has ripe raspberry and plum with spicy aromatic oak.
The palate is controlled with defined blackberry and blackcurrant, there are commanding ripe tannins that provide excellent structure and are well integrated with both fruit and oak.
The finish shows focused dark berry goodness, with the 07 an excellent wine from a tough year. Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2015-2023)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/2/2023 - sthugo wrote:
St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Vertical spanning 3 Decades (Merce's Castle): Our first screw capped bottle and it showed. This was very closed even after a 2 hour decant. Muted nose not giving much away. First sip showed plenty of white pepper, mint and spice. Up to now probably the most different St Hugo in the line-up. Big and dense with a medium finish. Maybe would show better with food? For me this was my least favourite vintage in the flight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2020 - rednick@internode.on.net wrote:
Excellent example of Coonawarra Cab, 1 hour decant - nose cigar box, eucalypt & touch of fruit - lovely powdery tannins, followed by a fading but firm line of acid and then wrapped with blackjack fruit with touches of oak around it - really very good and to my mind no rush at all
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2020 - rednick@internode.on.net wrote:
Excellent example of Coonawarra Cab, 1 hour decant - nose cigar box, eucalypt & touch of fruit - lovely powdery tannins, followed by a fading but firm line of acid and then wrapped with blackjack fruit with touches of oak around it - really very good and to my mind no rush
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2020 - nwebstar Does not like this wine:
I think past its best. Suspicious first taste - some promise but with a certain faded cardboard edge. Next hour and 24 hours got worse proving its past it. Disappointing for a well cellared Stelvin capped wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2020 - Smahlatz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dumb on opening but blackcurrant on palate with a tight tannic finish. Day 2, this had opened up beautifully, with blackcurrant to the fore, some eucalypt and a firm finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2017 - HughK Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank over two days and displayed the halmarks of a St Hugo Cabernet to the end. The wine did not open out as much as expected the second day and along with the slightly fiery finish in the mouth I am not sure it will improve much past here. It's a nice if not overly refined wine now so enjoy it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2017 - tenorselbow wrote: 90 Points
Big high-end jam, prune and lead pencil nose with lots of high notes.Brambly, blood orange, slight aniseed in the mouth.
Long finish of chocolate orange and apricot pip 60-90 seconds. No sediment present, so I'm guessing this will not improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2015 - HughK Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a nicely balanced cabernet, its full bodied and has a lovely mouthfeel. The fruit sits well in the wine and its rich but delicate on the palate. It will be interesting to see if it develops further from here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2014 - Argrath wrote: 87 Points
Full, parody-fruity, forward nose with loads of mint and menthol. Cassis and toasty vanilla-oak. Tight and Mighty, but no layers. Young. Will be better with secondary aroma development.
Medium-fullish, concentrated, very fruity palate. Nice acid. Dynamic tannins. Very succulent. Fiery, oaky finish. Unbalanced and with too much mint for my taste.
Very Aussie with the mint. Very hard to see the elegance here...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2014 - jelam wrote: 89 Points
Nice well rounded cabernet, but could do with a bit more time in the bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2012 - Capt Cutlass wrote: 88 Points
Blind tasted. Deep purple and there was smoke... Intense nose of eucalyptus, menthol, dark cherries & plums, and cedar. Again eucalyptus on the palate, dark stone fruits, coffee, cocoa and above all bitingly strong alcohol. This needs more time and should have been decanted. Tasted much better on the second day without a vacuum pump since the alcohol better integrated. At first gave it 86 but moved up on the second day. Could be interesting in another 5-10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2011 - graemeg wrote:
{screwcap} Big, youthful nose of vanilla/coconut and bracken/cassis cabernet aromas. Rich ripe palate, not overdone; rather monolithic at this age; medium weight and length of finish; will take some time to develop much interest beyond typical young cab flavours. Seems one-dimensionally oaky right now; could settle down with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2011 - VinoHobo wrote: 92 Points
Dark brooding black fruits with cool mints and milk chocolate. Plenty of oak. In for the long haul
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/18/2011 - Patrick - winereviewer.com.au wrote: 94 Points
Medium red in colour, the nose has ripe raspberry and plum with spicy aromatic oak.
The palate is controlled with defined blackberry and blackcurrant, there are commanding ripe tannins that provide excellent structure and are well integrated with both fruit and oak.
The finish shows focused dark berry goodness, with the 07 an excellent wine from a tough year.
Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2015-2023)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2011 - 2mwine wrote: 92 Points
Absolutely perfect, similar to Tignanello
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment