Dark ruby to the rim. Blackcurrant and cedary notes with whiff of menthol. The palate is robust medium to full body with ripe blackcurrant and blackberry and cherry with a wonderful spicy note. My last bottle but this wine still has plenty of life. Long, satisfying finish.
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I had a few members of the Tasting Group crew join me in a sort of, "help me drink down my cellar" gathering. Everyone had an opportunity to dig through the cellar and select a bottle of their choosing; the identity of the wine was kept from everyone else and then presented double-blind though, since the bottles were being pulled from my cellar, it wasn't a true double-blind situation for me. This was poured into a decanter and served within two hours of opening. The wine poured a deep ruby color, slightly turbid with a nearly opaque core. On the nose, the wine bursting with dark-over-red fruits; black currants and black cherry along with tobacco, bell pepper, leather, coffee, and baking spices. On the palate, the wine was dry and the structure was, overall, quite firm. The fruit set was confirmed and while the wine came across as vinous and fully mature, there was a rather remarkable freshness about it...and almost ageless quality. The tannins and acid were so refreshing. And then there was the texture which, I have to say, was quite noble. It was really hard for me to get away from the Left Bank in Bordeaux, from a great, warmer vintage. The question was: St. Julien or Pauliiac. I called 2000 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. I don't hate my call. This was a banger and going back to my notes, I really liked it back then too! It's worth mentioning that the Stelvin enclosure is the real deal folks. This has aged beautifully and has years and years to go. I wish I had more. Alas, this was my last bottle.
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Outstanding! Still full of tannins and needs to breathe before drinking. Very full bodied and one of the better/best Australian cabernet sauvignons. Have one more bottle left from my trip to the D'Arenberg tasting room in Adelaide, will wait a few more years to enjoy it. Wish I had more.
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Delicious! Dark red, full of tannin. Definitely a hint of pepper, dark berries. Very harsh rig out of bottle, but mellowed after 20-30 minutes. Still has a few years ahead of it, wish I had more. Will save my last bottle a few more years.
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Dense, dark red. White pepper, dark fruit and green peppers on the nose. Flavours of green peppers and dark fruits. Silky and rounded texture. Firm tannins with a long, smooth finish. Lovely. Drinking well.
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Appearance: med garnet Nose: med+ intensity, eucalyptus, plum, chocolate, lavender, blackberry, black cherry, earthy dusty, toast, minty, cedar, five spices, dry orange peel, tomato leaf. It’s developing. Palate: dry, high acidity, high tannins very fine and smooth, high alcohol (14.5%) but doesn’t feel high as the high acidity balanced it well. It has some plum on the palate and some mushroom at the end of the finish. It has med+ finish. Overall, very good wine. It’s better than the last bottle we tried last year. It still has the same issue of the flavours gap at the middle palate but not as problematic as the last one because the flavour intensity is there to hold. I was planning to save this bottle for longer given the screwcap, but my wife cracked open by accident for blind tasting, so just enjoyed it then. After all, happy wife, happy life! Dispensed into small bottle and tried again on day 3. It’s even better with charming notes of mushroom, wet leaves and medium roasted coffee beans. Tannins are even better integrated. Increase the rating to 94pts.
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Appearance: deep garnet Nose: medium intensity; aromas of mint, eucalyptus, chocolate, kirsch, black currant, tomato leaf, cedar, toast, nutmeg. It's developing. Palate: dry, high acidity, high tannins (still very chalky and grippy), high alcohol, full body, medium plus flavour intensity, flavours much aligned with nose, the finish is medium plus (but at the shorter end). Overall, it's a very good wine. Can drink now but has potential for further ageing. 6 mths since last bottle. The finish is still a shortcoming comparing to the other elements of this wine. Very minty and eucalyptus on both nose and palate, interesting characters given it's from McLaren Vale instead of Coonawarra. A solid wine but lack of surprises.
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Australia day 2020, BBQ lamb, BQ corn on the cob, salad. Decanted for twenty minutes, an hour sitting in the glass, then an hour tasting.
Powerfully alcoholic on the nose, very complex with red and black fruits, cedar, bay leaves.
Powerful tannins in the mouth, red fruits and Cranberry, dark bitter chocolate, coffee grounds, juicy.
To be honest it probably overwhelmed t the lamb a little. After the BBQ we had a bowl of dates, blue cheese, candied orange with dark chocolate and a vintage cheddar. All of these bought different flavours and depth to this wine.
I have 3 bottles of this left and I think I will wait at least another 3 years before the next one as this has the tannin and alcohols to stay on its journey through time.
Appearance Clarity : Clear Intensity : Deep
Colour Red : Ruby
Nose Condition : Clean Intensity : Pronounced
Aroma Characteristics: Black Fruit, Red Fruit, Violets, Bayleaf, Tobacco, Leather. Cedar, Oak, Tomato leaf
Palate Sweetness : Dry Acidity : High Tannin : High Body : Medium Flavour: Cranberry, Pomegranate, Red fruit, Chocolate, Tomato leaf Length : Long
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Dark ruby, almost bloody. Black fruits and violets, lots of ripe blackberry and blackcurrant, spice and tannins which are still present. Lots of life and vigour.
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Dark ruby with plush blackcurrant fruit and lifted floral aromas which makes it quite heady on the nose. To taste there's lots thick black juice, tannins still evident but integrated and lots of bright acidity that makes the mouth water and with a long powerful finish. Hedonistic and delicious with lots of life left in it.
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Dark, inky red colour. Graphite, tobacco, liquorice and cedar on the nose. Flavours of green pepper, tobacco, sous bois and cedar. Long finish. Smoothed and opened over an hour. Very good and enjoyable.
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Still drinking beautifully out of magnum. Inky purple colour, just fading to ruby & garnet at the rim. Palate was cassis, cedar, tobacco smoke & cocoa, showing interesting tertiary characters with a hint of mushroom & roast beef. Could have mistaken it for a Shiraz, perhaps, had it been blind.
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Deep red, dense, inky colour. Powerful nose - dark fruits, cassis, tar. Lighter than the nose suggests - flavours of dark fruits, menthol, eucalyptus. Well balanced with a good acid bite. Still plenty of time left in this. Come back to this in 2019.
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A very bold and expressive wine. Nose enters with intense blueberry, cassis, olives and a slightly menthol characteristic. Palate is very luscious, bold, grainy tannins, fresh and with great (impressive) acidity.
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Dark fruits and a touch of charred wood on nose. Lovely dark fruits, tapenade, spice and tar flavours, Big but very well balanced wine that opened up after about two hours. Beautiful wine with a savoury bite and plenty of time left.
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What a superb wine. There is a real power and weight to fruit that drives on and on, and an intensity to the nose that defies gravity. The fruit definitely falls into the darker spectrum, but the cassis is still very vibrant given its age. The secondary complexity is divine, with fruitcake, baking spice, pomegranate, black olive and mocca mingling seamlessly. The tannins are fine and dusty, and the wine finishes with a smooth elegant underlay of toasty vanilla oak. Yum, yum, yum.
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Powerful, muscular wine. Aromas of charred wood seemed more prominent on this bottle, but the dense black fruit and olive notes were still lurking after a vigorous swirl of the glass. Big tannic structure and more of that thick fruit on the palate. Definitely benefits from several hours in the decanter.
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Now this is still a powerful cabernet - the first sip upon opening was like a figurative smack in the face with a wiffle bat! Immensely powerful blackcurrent/cassis notes. Plenty of secondary flavours - coffee, spices, vanilla etc. Tannins still powerful and dusty. Would recommend additional cellaring.
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A beautiful wine of great power and depth. Perfectly ripened blackberry, cassis and blueberry fruit. Wonderful mid-palate complexity, with cigar box, black olive and mocca. Nice balance, but still slightly acidic. Fine dusty tannins. Tastes like it still has plenty of time ahead of it.
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Dark garnet. Coffee, spice, plums on the nose, with a nice base of wood. Lovely palate staining spread of fruit with fresh lacings of acid and strong aromatic finish. In beautiful balance right now. 50 + 16 + 17 + 9.
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Floral with mint,gooseberry and nice integrated vanilla oak. Elegant, balanced with an explosion of fruit on the finish. Concentrated and vibrantly fresh at 10 years, though starting to show some secondary flavors. Now to 2023.
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Popped (unscrewed) and poured. Incredibly dark garnet that draws you in and leaves you transfixed. Blackberries, cassis, tobacco and pomegranate. Hugely concentrated but in no way a fruit bomb. I'm absolutely struck by the structure. Finish lasts for nearly a minute. Tannins are still very firm and there's a serious zing of acidity. Still a baby in its tenth year. I would never have guessed this to be an Aussie, blind. Possibly the best CS I've ever had from the continent. Very excited that I have another bottle to rest patiently in the cellar.
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Tasted blind. Dark to the rim. Bell pepper, blackberry and lead on the nose. The palate offers up sweet blackberry and currant fruit initially and then the tannins come which are drying. Lovely now but a baby so stills needs time where you can expect it to get better.
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Dark fruit cab w tannins. Reminded me of a colder climate cab (which it may very well be). Moderate complexity. Softened up and was better w the last glass 24 hrs later.
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Clear dark ruby Smells rich and fruity. Red fruit, mature and stewed. Rich. Concentrated. High tannin. Medium acidity. Full body. Long. Can't decide if this is off-dry or just with such fruit concentration that it feels sweet.
Very well made. V good. Think it has years left in it, the only question is the acidity. Is there enough to go the distance?
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Inky black, absolutely no sign of age. Nose is blackcurrant, some tobacco leaf and dried herbs. The palate is quite powerful, some alcohol, with blackcurrant fruit but not too sweet, tannins are still present but not obtrusive. The finish is long with a crunchy green pepper touch which gives it freshness which is really appealing. My first bottle of six and I look forward to how it will evolve over the next six years or so.
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30th Birthday Party: A simply gorgeous McLaren Vale Cabernet. The nose is full of cherry, black pepper, red licorice, roasted red peppers, and it gets better and better with air. Juicy berry fruit covers the palate, but tangy acid keeps it balanced. I love the combination of cherry, blueberry, roasted coffee and meaty flavors. Powerfully long finish with menthol and rhubarb. Very complex, this deserves a decant and a good meal of roasted meat. Aged 18 months in new and one-year-old French and American oak.
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- It's balanced with a full body. Fleshy texture with a long finish - Six months since last entry, this time with steak and a sauce Bois Boudrin, a strong tomato based sauce. Lovely fruit up front, then lingers. Think sweet first, then developing into a more mature savoury aftertaste. Plenty of legs on the glass - it's 14.5%. The label says it has seen french oak but there's no woodiness in it. This is very well done.
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Patina: stewed cherry, tobacco leaf; a bit softer than '06, but more intense in the finish. Very fine. Perfect with the amazing near raw Beef Tenderloin with marinated hon shemiji mushrooms and pickled shallot vinaigrette.
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Earthy, mineral (iron?) notes shine thru from behind a thick cloak of ripe, savory, maybe stewed, berry fruit. Very medicinal, with a lot of cedary oak. Fruit is very much to the fore on the palate. Concentrated brambley berry fruit, plenty of ripe tannin. Long on chewy fruit. Still very young, and needs time in decanter (also recommended because there's lots of sediment in there) or in bottle. This has years ahead of it.
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When first opened - dark, tannic, lots of cedarwood, cloves and downright savoury taste. After resting a couple of hours, really developed with the fruit coming out in both the bouquet and the palate. Medicinal, big and yummy. Goes very well with beef. If you decant or simply leave it to breathe a bit, this is ready for drinking now.
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Global World Offline Online - dark ruby with hint of brown; nice floral nose with some violet and a bit of funk; very tannic but pretty well balanced - an interesting wine that I expect will be even better after a few more years in the bottle
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I didn't like this bottle as well as my last one. The wine was very well concentrated but as it opened the fruit never resolved past the tannins. I plan to keep the rest of my bottles for another 5+ years before opening another. I feel that this one is asleep.
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Color: deep deep red with a touch of brown or orange.
Nose: cherry, bitter almond, vanilla and sassafras
Palate: bold cherry of course but also ( strange but tasty and true) the acidity and touch of flavor of a fresh kiwi. This blends into dried blueberry, black currant and finishes into a slight bitterness followed by a LONG butterscotch finish (finish diminished into a medium vanilla finish by 2 hours later)
Feel: medium+ body. Tannins medium quantity, soft and chalky
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Quite a wine even if I'm personally not in favor of high acidity cherry/pomegranade bomb versions of Cabernet sauvignon. It doesn't work for me. But I'm sure for plenty of others. This one needs keeping. (Tried from inspiration of the magnificent d'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz I recently had.)
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I can see how this wine could be a "go to" wine for some. The quality is there just not the flavors I look for in a cab. Flavors of unripe fruit, graphite and earth take the wine over. These flavors tone down when you pair it with a steak, but I wouldn't like this without food.
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Past notes have hinted at what I am tasting but it is far from traditional. Intense, a bit flabby, cherry pie with spice and a hint of oak hits you in the throat. Deep dark purple (blackish). Dusty/chalky finish. Somewhere in the $35 range.
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AWS White Clay Chapter Cabernets (Brett and Carols): Very dark wine with a wonderful powerful nose of black fruits, honey/vanilla and nuts. Slightly sweet fruit with hints of bell pepper, nice acidity and black cherries.
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9/11/2022 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark ruby to the rim. Blackcurrant and cedary notes with whiff of menthol. The palate is robust medium to full body with ripe blackcurrant and blackberry and cherry with a wonderful spicy note. My last bottle but this wine still has plenty of life. Long, satisfying finish.
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1/24/2022 - thesternowl wrote: 94 Points
I had a few members of the Tasting Group crew join me in a sort of, "help me drink down my cellar" gathering. Everyone had an opportunity to dig through the cellar and select a bottle of their choosing; the identity of the wine was kept from everyone else and then presented double-blind though, since the bottles were being pulled from my cellar, it wasn't a true double-blind situation for me. This was poured into a decanter and served within two hours of opening. The wine poured a deep ruby color, slightly turbid with a nearly opaque core. On the nose, the wine bursting with dark-over-red fruits; black currants and black cherry along with tobacco, bell pepper, leather, coffee, and baking spices. On the palate, the wine was dry and the structure was, overall, quite firm. The fruit set was confirmed and while the wine came across as vinous and fully mature, there was a rather remarkable freshness about it...and almost ageless quality. The tannins and acid were so refreshing. And then there was the texture which, I have to say, was quite noble. It was really hard for me to get away from the Left Bank in Bordeaux, from a great, warmer vintage. The question was: St. Julien or Pauliiac. I called 2000 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. I don't hate my call. This was a banger and going back to my notes, I really liked it back then too! It's worth mentioning that the Stelvin enclosure is the real deal folks. This has aged beautifully and has years and years to go. I wish I had more. Alas, this was my last bottle.
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1/11/2022 - subguy87 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Outstanding! Still full of tannins and needs to breathe before drinking. Very full bodied and one of the better/best Australian cabernet sauvignons. Have one more bottle left from my trip to the D'Arenberg tasting room in Adelaide, will wait a few more years to enjoy it. Wish I had more.
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1/8/2022 - subguy87 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious! Dark red, full of tannin. Definitely a hint of pepper, dark berries. Very harsh rig out of bottle, but mellowed after 20-30 minutes. Still has a few years ahead of it, wish I had more. Will save my last bottle a few more years.
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4/30/2021 - rjsmall Likes this wine:
Dense, dark red. White pepper, dark fruit and green peppers on the nose. Flavours of green peppers and dark fruits. Silky and rounded texture. Firm tannins with a long, smooth finish. Lovely. Drinking well.
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1/19/2021 - Jason Wu Likes this wine: 94 Points
Appearance: med garnet
Nose: med+ intensity, eucalyptus, plum, chocolate, lavender, blackberry, black cherry, earthy dusty, toast, minty, cedar, five spices, dry orange peel, tomato leaf. It’s developing.
Palate: dry, high acidity, high tannins very fine and smooth, high alcohol (14.5%) but doesn’t feel high as the high acidity balanced it well. It has some plum on the palate and some mushroom at the end of the finish. It has med+ finish.
Overall, very good wine. It’s better than the last bottle we tried last year. It still has the same issue of the flavours gap at the middle palate but not as problematic as the last one because the flavour intensity is there to hold. I was planning to save this bottle for longer given the screwcap, but my wife cracked open by accident for blind tasting, so just enjoyed it then. After all, happy wife, happy life!
Dispensed into small bottle and tried again on day 3. It’s even better with charming notes of mushroom, wet leaves and medium roasted coffee beans. Tannins are even better integrated. Increase the rating to 94pts.
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4/11/2020 - Jason Wu Likes this wine: 91 Points
Appearance: deep garnet
Nose: medium intensity; aromas of mint, eucalyptus, chocolate, kirsch, black currant, tomato leaf, cedar, toast, nutmeg. It's developing.
Palate: dry, high acidity, high tannins (still very chalky and grippy), high alcohol, full body, medium plus flavour intensity, flavours much aligned with nose, the finish is medium plus (but at the shorter end).
Overall, it's a very good wine. Can drink now but has potential for further ageing. 6 mths since last bottle. The finish is still a shortcoming comparing to the other elements of this wine. Very minty and eucalyptus on both nose and palate, interesting characters given it's from McLaren Vale instead of Coonawarra. A solid wine but lack of surprises.
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1/26/2020 - Ulaa Likes this wine: 96 Points
Australia day 2020, BBQ lamb, BQ corn on the cob, salad.
Decanted for twenty minutes, an hour sitting in the glass, then an hour tasting.
Powerfully alcoholic on the nose, very complex with red and black fruits, cedar, bay leaves.
Powerful tannins in the mouth, red fruits and Cranberry, dark bitter chocolate, coffee grounds, juicy.
To be honest it probably overwhelmed t the lamb a little. After the BBQ we had a bowl of dates, blue cheese, candied orange with dark chocolate and a vintage cheddar. All of these bought different flavours and depth to this wine.
I have 3 bottles of this left and I think I will wait at least another 3 years before the next one as this has the tannin and alcohols to stay on its journey through time.
Appearance
Clarity : Clear
Intensity : Deep
Colour
Red : Ruby
Nose
Condition : Clean
Intensity : Pronounced
Aroma Characteristics: Black Fruit, Red Fruit, Violets, Bayleaf, Tobacco, Leather. Cedar, Oak, Tomato leaf
Palate
Sweetness : Dry
Acidity : High
Tannin : High
Body : Medium
Flavour: Cranberry, Pomegranate, Red fruit, Chocolate, Tomato leaf
Length : Long
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6/16/2019 - RichardZula Likes this wine:
Delicious, clearly an age worthy bottle, fruit, graphite, long finish.
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3/3/2019 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby, almost bloody. Black fruits and violets, lots of ripe blackberry and blackcurrant, spice and tannins which are still present. Lots of life and vigour.
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2/24/2019 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby with plush blackcurrant fruit and lifted floral aromas which makes it quite heady on the nose. To taste there's lots thick black juice, tannins still evident but integrated and lots of bright acidity that makes the mouth water and with a long powerful finish. Hedonistic and delicious with lots of life left in it.
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2/1/2019 - rjsmall Likes this wine:
Dark, inky red colour. Graphite, tobacco, liquorice and cedar on the nose. Flavours of green pepper, tobacco, sous bois and cedar. Long finish. Smoothed and opened over an hour. Very good and enjoyable.
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12/25/2018 - asajoseph Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking beautifully out of magnum. Inky purple colour, just fading to ruby & garnet at the rim. Palate was cassis, cedar, tobacco smoke & cocoa, showing interesting tertiary characters with a hint of mushroom & roast beef. Could have mistaken it for a Shiraz, perhaps, had it been blind.
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8/11/2018 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Concentrated cassis, integrated oak, hints of menthol and eucalyptus, and a long fresh finish.
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4/20/2018 - rjsmall Likes this wine:
Deep red, dense, inky colour. Powerful nose - dark fruits, cassis, tar. Lighter than the nose suggests - flavours of dark fruits, menthol, eucalyptus. Well balanced with a good acid bite. Still plenty of time left in this. Come back to this in 2019.
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7/2/2017 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Powerful stuff, cassis and blackberry fruit, vanilla oak, long finish. Firm tannin suggests a few years ahead.
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6/17/2017 - RaphaelMalago Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very bold and expressive wine. Nose enters with intense blueberry, cassis, olives and a slightly menthol characteristic. Palate is very luscious, bold, grainy tannins, fresh and with great (impressive) acidity.
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3/11/2017 - rjsmall wrote:
Dark fruits and a touch of charred wood on nose. Lovely dark fruits, tapenade, spice and tar flavours, Big but very well balanced wine that opened up after about two hours. Beautiful wine with a savoury bite and plenty of time left.
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2/17/2017 - Delectable Blue Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a superb wine. There is a real power and weight to fruit that drives on and on, and an intensity to the nose that defies gravity. The fruit definitely falls into the darker spectrum, but the cassis is still very vibrant given its age. The secondary complexity is divine, with fruitcake, baking spice, pomegranate, black olive and mocca mingling seamlessly. The tannins are fine and dusty, and the wine finishes with a smooth elegant underlay of toasty vanilla oak. Yum, yum, yum.
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10/23/2016 - moods wrote: 88 Points
Powerful, muscular wine. Aromas of charred wood seemed more prominent on this bottle, but the dense black fruit and olive notes were still lurking after a vigorous swirl of the glass. Big tannic structure and more of that thick fruit on the palate. Definitely benefits from several hours in the decanter.
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7/15/2016 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 91 Points
Now this is still a powerful cabernet - the first sip upon opening was like a figurative smack in the face with a wiffle bat! Immensely powerful blackcurrent/cassis notes. Plenty of secondary flavours - coffee, spices, vanilla etc. Tannins still powerful and dusty. Would recommend additional cellaring.
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5/13/2016 - Delectable Blue Likes this wine: 94 Points
(Tasted blind)
A beautiful wine of great power and depth. Perfectly ripened blackberry, cassis and blueberry fruit. Wonderful mid-palate complexity, with cigar box, black olive and mocca. Nice balance, but still slightly acidic. Fine dusty tannins. Tastes like it still has plenty of time ahead of it.
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3/19/2016 - rwf Likes this wine: 90 Points
My last bottle and the best one yet. Wish I had more. Still fresh, primary fruit on the palate, silky tannins.
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12/12/2015 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark garnet. Coffee, spice, plums on the nose, with a nice base of wood. Lovely palate staining spread of fruit with fresh lacings of acid and strong aromatic finish. In beautiful balance right now. 50 + 16 + 17 + 9.
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5/9/2015 - Poisey Likes this wine: 94 Points
Floral with mint,gooseberry and nice integrated vanilla oak. Elegant, balanced with an explosion of fruit on the finish. Concentrated and vibrantly fresh at 10 years, though starting to show some secondary flavors. Now to 2023.
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2/15/2015 - RichardZula Likes this wine:
Beginning to fade, bricking in color, lots of fine sediment, still nice Cabernet character, with some pencil led fruit.
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2/14/2015 - thesternowl Likes this wine: 95 Points
Popped (unscrewed) and poured. Incredibly dark garnet that draws you in and leaves you transfixed. Blackberries, cassis, tobacco and pomegranate. Hugely concentrated but in no way a fruit bomb. I'm absolutely struck by the structure. Finish lasts for nearly a minute. Tannins are still very firm and there's a serious zing of acidity. Still a baby in its tenth year. I would never have guessed this to be an Aussie, blind. Possibly the best CS I've ever had from the continent. Very excited that I have another bottle to rest patiently in the cellar.
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12/5/2014 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 90 Points
A year since my last entry. It's ready. Full of plummy fruits. Punchy. Lovely.
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11/10/2014 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted blind. Dark to the rim. Bell pepper, blackberry and lead on the nose. The palate offers up sweet blackberry and currant fruit initially and then the tannins come which are drying. Lovely now but a baby so stills needs time where you can expect it to get better.
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9/13/2014 - Mtnmd1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark fruit cab w tannins. Reminded me of a colder climate cab (which it may very well be). Moderate complexity. Softened up and was better w the last glass 24 hrs later.
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5/20/2014 - MarkL wrote: 92 Points
Clear dark ruby
Smells rich and fruity. Red fruit, mature and stewed. Rich. Concentrated.
High tannin. Medium acidity. Full body. Long. Can't decide if this is off-dry or just with such fruit concentration that it feels sweet.
Very well made. V good. Think it has years left in it, the only question is the acidity. Is there enough to go the distance?
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2/2/2014 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Inky black, absolutely no sign of age. Nose is blackcurrant, some tobacco leaf and dried herbs. The palate is quite powerful, some alcohol, with blackcurrant fruit but not too sweet, tannins are still present but not obtrusive. The finish is long with a crunchy green pepper touch which gives it freshness which is really appealing. My first bottle of six and I look forward to how it will evolve over the next six years or so.
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9/25/2013 - manonthemoon wrote: 90 Points
Small taste.
Black fruit with herbs and oak.
Decent acidity and lots of tannin still going on.
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9/25/2013 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 93 Points
30th Birthday Party: A simply gorgeous McLaren Vale Cabernet. The nose is full of cherry, black pepper, red licorice, roasted red peppers, and it gets better and better with air. Juicy berry fruit covers the palate, but tangy acid keeps it balanced. I love the combination of cherry, blueberry, roasted coffee and meaty flavors. Powerfully long finish with menthol and rhubarb. Very complex, this deserves a decant and a good meal of roasted meat. Aged 18 months in new and one-year-old French and American oak.
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9/21/2013 - shallIshantI wrote: 90 Points
- It's balanced with a full body. Fleshy texture with a long finish - Six months since last entry, this time with steak and a sauce Bois Boudrin, a strong tomato based sauce.
Lovely fruit up front, then lingers. Think sweet first, then developing into a more mature savoury aftertaste. Plenty of legs on the glass - it's 14.5%. The label says it has seen french oak but there's no woodiness in it. This is very well done.
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8/7/2013 - MorganzaMG wrote: 96 Points
Great. Long finish. A little oak-y. Currant & pencil lead flavor. Blackberry & sediment.
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7/24/2013 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Patina: stewed cherry, tobacco leaf; a bit softer than '06, but more intense in the finish. Very fine. Perfect with the amazing near raw Beef Tenderloin with marinated hon shemiji mushrooms and pickled shallot vinaigrette.
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4/7/2013 - moods wrote: 91 Points
Earthy, mineral (iron?) notes shine thru from behind a thick cloak of ripe, savory, maybe stewed, berry fruit. Very medicinal, with a lot of cedary oak. Fruit is very much to the fore on the palate. Concentrated brambley berry fruit, plenty of ripe tannin. Long on chewy fruit. Still very young, and needs time in decanter (also recommended because there's lots of sediment in there) or in bottle. This has years ahead of it.
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3/15/2013 - mgstull wrote: 84 Points
I think the bottle was off. Seemed tired and lacking in concentration. Also overly acidic.
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2/3/2013 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 90 Points
When first opened - dark, tannic, lots of cedarwood, cloves and downright savoury taste. After resting a couple of hours, really developed with the fruit coming out in both the bouquet and the palate. Medicinal, big and yummy. Goes very well with beef. If you decant or simply leave it to breathe a bit, this is ready for drinking now.
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12/15/2012 - Carniolan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Global World Offline Online - dark ruby with hint of brown; nice floral nose with some violet and a bit of funk; very tannic but pretty well balanced - an interesting wine that I expect will be even better after a few more years in the bottle
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10/5/2012 - cmaldoon wrote: 89 Points
I didn't like this bottle as well as my last one. The wine was very well concentrated but as it opened the fruit never resolved past the tannins. I plan to keep the rest of my bottles for another 5+ years before opening another. I feel that this one is asleep.
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1/26/2012 - cmaldoon wrote: 92 Points
Pop, vinturi, one hour in decanter
Color: deep deep red with a touch of brown or orange.
Nose: cherry, bitter almond, vanilla and sassafras
Palate: bold cherry of course but also ( strange but tasty and true) the acidity and touch of flavor of a fresh kiwi. This blends into dried blueberry, black currant and finishes into a slight bitterness followed by a LONG butterscotch finish (finish diminished into a medium vanilla finish by 2 hours later)
Feel: medium+ body. Tannins medium quantity, soft and chalky
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10/4/2011 - pasqualini wrote: 91 Points
Too powerful for the meal. ( Toad in the hole)
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8/12/2011 - pkatz wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with prior notes. Eucalyptus and menthol notes as well.
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6/10/2011 - MacBlythe wrote: 90 Points
Good now but will be better in several years
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4/20/2011 - StefanAkiko wrote: 90 Points
Quite a wine even if I'm personally not in favor of high acidity cherry/pomegranade bomb versions of Cabernet sauvignon. It doesn't work for me. But I'm sure for plenty of others. This one needs keeping.
(Tried from inspiration of the magnificent d'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz I recently had.)
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1/31/2011 - jaxpaj wrote: 89 Points
I can see how this wine could be a "go to" wine for some. The quality is there just not the flavors I look for in a cab. Flavors of unripe fruit, graphite and earth take the wine over. These flavors tone down when you pair it with a steak, but I wouldn't like this without food.
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10/26/2010 - jaxpaj wrote: 89 Points
Past notes have hinted at what I am tasting but it is far from traditional. Intense, a bit flabby, cherry pie with spice and a hint of oak hits you in the throat. Deep dark purple (blackish). Dusty/chalky finish. Somewhere in the $35 range.
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9/25/2010 - RichardZula Likes this wine:
Dense and concentrated; ripe fruit; warm alcohol finish; notes of green pepper; very nice wine.
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3/28/2010 - pkatz wrote: 92 Points
Aussie Cab Tasting. Nice nose, balanced fruit. Beautiful wine.
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1/11/2010 - darren81 wrote:
8.5/10 - Strong bouquet. complex and full bodied. raspberry, cranberry, cedary cinnamon spice and earth.
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11/11/2009 - gb1406 wrote: 93 Points
Still very young - bright red, sweet berry flavours. Sharp, mid palate - alcohol very evident.
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12/6/2008 - Outplaying wrote: 88 Points
AWS White Clay Chapter Cabernets (Brett and Carols): Very dark wine with a wonderful powerful nose of black fruits, honey/vanilla and nuts. Slightly sweet fruit with hints of bell pepper, nice acidity and black cherries.
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6/29/2008 - amateurwino wrote: 90 Points
very young and tannic. Dusty tannins. Didn’t score it at the time, but I’d say 90ish from memory.
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