Awesome wine. Complex with vibrant fruits and no sign of aging badly. Blackberry, cigar and subtle mint. This will continue to age wonderfully like a majestic brumby in the southern highlands.
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Tasted at Cutler & Co with Bea, Victoria and Martin for Christmas eve dinner: Nicely complex, deep and long; very many facets. Like Chatters predicted: the wine really blossoms when it has some extended bottle age. My love for Coonawarra wines continues unabated since more than 50 years....
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Cigar box, mint, blackberry, blackcurrant. Mid weight for a black label. Excellent balance. Ample length. Pretty much bang on average for the label in attributes and quality, and drinking well at 10 years old, though plenty of good years still ahead.
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This is great stuff Lots of fruit still. Tannins are smoothening out. Still mint aromatics but more subtle and not as pronounced as 2015. Still youthful but likely to improve with further ageing. Can’t think of a better QPR wine.
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Wonderful Coonawarra expression with lots of dark sweet fruit, great balance with integrated tannins providing a robust foundation making it a great pairing with heavier food. We had it with coffee rubbed fillet which worked really well. Its still young and has many years of development ahead so I will keep the rest of my bottles for a few more years.
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Drinking well but really should give it some more time. Eucalyptus is much stronger than I remember. It is well made, on the richer side of Black Labels still with those lovely furry tannins and acid holding. I honestly think this will be a much longer term wine than say the 2015 which I tried recently. The 2015 has more enjoyment at this point but this should live into its 20s.
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Consumed over 2 days (re-sealed and refrigerated), note from day 2. Appearance: Clear, just starting to show some bricking - medium ruby. Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity with developing aromas of blackberry, bell pepper, eucalyptus, saddle leather, and violet. Palate: Dry, medium+ acid and tannin, full body, medium+ intensity with flavors of dried blackberry, eucalyptus, and earth with a long finish. Overall a very good wine with great balance and length along with very good complexity and intensity. Seems to be peaking at this time, drink now or over the next couple years.
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Good wine but nothing truly distinctive about it. Super bold. Compared to the 2010 this one stands up much to time. Drank over 2-days. Really bold day 1. Smoothed out day two and more drinkable.
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I think the wine is in a bit of a dull phase right now. Hanging in no mans land. Still, a tidy wine with promise. Will be revisiting in another couple of years.
Good. Single decant (fine sediment) tasted over about five hours. V dark, looking younger than it’s age. Black fruit on nose. Palate is polished, tannins have smoothed out. Medium to full body. No real secondary notes. Medium length not overly complex. Easy drinking. Should be a crowd pleaser.
Plenty of fruit, acidity on the mid and back palate, tannins working and integrating well. It’s like a wash of velvet over the mouth. High quality new world Cabernet in that SA style. Will go another 10 years.
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2012 Wynns Filtered and immediate double decant back in to the bottle 8 hours ahead of wife’s birthday dinner.
Drank from crap cafe style goblets (expected much more of the restaurant given their high corkage rate, but then again the champagne flutes they gave us for a Billi BdB were Duralex too) this was enjoyed by all- even non red drinkers.
It’s hitting its drinking window. The wine remains dark in colour, and flavours fresh, but the tannins have softened and now very supple. No obvious typical mint either. No tertiary flavours evident in this setting, this was certainly a crowd pleaser. Even my wife, who rarely drinks red, found this Cabernet to her liking.
Again, from sub par glasses and a party environment, this medium weight dry red is in the zone to enjoy now. But it will hold for 10 years or more such is its youthfulness and structure. No less than last bottle, 94.
We always loved this wine! Excellent cab, unfolds after an hour or two, with spices, pepper, blackberry and an intriguing potpourri of tastes and nuances.
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Decanted for an hour before consumption. Very tightly wound initially, it slowly started to open up a bit more over the ensuing hours. Very youthful still, primary fruits on display; Cassis, tabacco leaf, with nice spice tones from the French oak. The tannins have softened since I last tried it, but still a bit firm on the finish. Still showing good acidity. A nice finish with a touch of menthol. Overall I feel it is a 'young' wine still, given good storage conditions and screw cap – I think its best years will be drinking from 15-20 years of age.
Dep red-purple, slowly coming in from the rim. Dusty, leafy and cooked plums on the nose with cacao nibs.
Sappy medium to full bodied on entry, it glides. Cooked purple with some crunchy black fruit skins proving freshness.
Sappy and savoury mushroom and black olive fatten the middle.
Finishes with some crunchy black fruit, a hint of capsicum and cooling menthol. It’s getting it’s old wine boots on with a lovely sapidity and translucency, but there’s a hint of burnt oak that I want it to lose still.
It’s aged a lot in 12 months based on this bottle alone, but it’s got more to give.
If I only had one bottle left I’d drink in 2 years. I’ll have one or two between now and then because it’s such a delight.
It’s drinking well now, but it’s turned a tertiary development corner- the new touch of cigar leaf/tobacco through the aftertaste is a beautiful detail.
94. It’s settling in to its groove. This is why people put Black Label under their house.
Ps- I did not look at my last score before giving this one.
Deep ruby red. A bit of herbs on the nose with cherries, gravel, spices and a bit green. Medium tannins (6.5/10) and medium to medium plus body. A bit of baking spices on the palate with crushed berries and gravel. Well rounded, solid acidity with a long finish. Drink till 2026.
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13,5% alcohol. Aged for 16 months in oak barrels. Tasted blind.
Youthful and rather opaque blackish-red color. Somewhat sweet-toned but also rather cool nose with aromas of sweet blackcurrants, some sweet and toasty oak spice, light jammy notes of dark berries, a hint of plummy fruit and a touch of menthol. The wine is ripe, juicy and somewhat sweetish with flavors of ripe blackcurrants and savory wood spice, some peppery spice, a little bit of chocolatey mocha oak, light notes of licorice, a hint of marmaladey dark fruit and a touch of vanilla. The structure relies mostly on the moderately high acidity, although the ripe medium-minus tannins bring in some firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is quite long, somewhat warm and gently grippy with juicy flavors of ripe blackcurrants, some woody spice, a little bit of chocolatey mocha oak, light extracted notes of woody bitterness, a hint of jammy black raspberry and a touch of vanilla.
A well-made but also quite generic new world red. There's nothing too much or too little and the overall feel is balanced. However, the wine still comes across as quite polished and very predictable, having no rough edges or any character of its own. This is drinkable, but nothing special to write home about. The blackcurrant-driven fruit makes me automatically think of Cabernet Sauvignon, so I'd say this is either an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon or a CS-driven blend from South Africa; probably 2016 or 2017. And what do you know! The wine turned out to be not only an Aussie Cab, but also a wine I had taste before, some 5 years ago! The wine has improved a little from what it was, but not much; furthermore, I was surprised how very little evolution the wine showed for its age - I guess that's just the screwcap doing its thing? All in all, a somewhat enjoyable effort, but nothing special to write home about; expensive for the quality at 19,90€.
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Black colour with a thin dark crimson hue. Strong aroma of old oak, dried leaves, stewed plum, light varnish. Dark chocolate, blackberry, liquorice. Smooth fine tannin persisting throughout. Balanced acidity. Full body, long finish. Drinking well, no sign of deterioration.
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A bottle I bought from someone else's underground cellar. Opened and decanted for an hour, already drinking well.
Deep red, starting to show the slightest bit of bricky red on the rim, just a touch, this wine still has many years ahead. On the nose, unmistakably Coonawarra cabernet, especially appreciating the green olive juice. Very well balanced wine with delicious long acid and oak, but the fruit has the same length. While delicious now, excited to see how this develops over the years. Palate deep and bold, powdery tennis are lovely. Blueberries, blackberries, green and kalamata olives, eucalyptus, and the French oak leave you wanting more.
Equally delicious the second day, just softer. 94 points for a $25 bottle.
Popped and poured for our 8th wedding anniversary. Good straight off the bat. Open and tannins are ripe. It’s ready, in that the tannins have folded in to the wine, but will hold for many more years with its round and fresh palate.
Purple is coming in from the rim with a touch of red. Coonawarra mint, black olive, and leafy cassis nose.
Lands with full bodied weight, but crunchy black and red fruit give it a nice line. There’s a nice translucent window to the fruit from the mid palate- like a purple wine gum lolly, that transitions to black olive, leafy blackcurrants and the beginnings of savoury mushroom and notes carry through.
Finish has a chewy menthol lick that provides an added freshness along with crunchy red fruits.
It’s very good, and exceptional value. 4.25-4.5/5 or 94. Drink now, or leave for another 5 years for more of those savoury notes to emerge. This will still be drinking well at age 20, they have an amazing capacity to hold.
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Lovely cabernet and a great Black Label. Just in its drinking window but many would prefer another five years or so. Good structure and balance, acidity holding it in place. A touch of pepper and typical eucalypt. Fine tannin, long dry finish with a touch of capsicum creeping in. Finesse come to mind.
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This is good, getting better with each passing year. Just so well balanced with smooth rich body and excellent length. I will try to pace the remaining 4 bottles over the next 5-10 years to see how it transitions to the tertiary stage. 92+
Much better than my last tasting. This Cab is in a very good place right now. Really expressive and intense on the nose & palate. Rich texture and well structured, it offers wonderful aromas of red berries and eucalyptus. Big red, but still supported by a nice acidity, so the wine doesn't feel heavy. At this point in time it's challenging its big brother, the John Riddoch Cuvée. Enjoy now or cellar for another 15-20 years...I'm sure it will go the distance.
Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined and refrigerated), note from day 2. Nose: Medium-plus intensity, eucalyptus, dark fruit - dominated by blackberry with blueberry undertones, and subtle green vegetable notes - quite lovely. Palate: Medium-full bodied, nice mouth-feel, spicy black fruit dominates the attack and persists nicely through the mid-palate, with earthy notes joining in the back-end. Finish: Medium-plus length dominated by earthy dark fruit and spice. This wine continues to improve with age no longer showing any sense of the harsh edges which appeared in previous years. Drinking wonderfully at the moment, but hasn't peaked yet - 2-5+ years.
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Coonawarra capsicum on the nose. Medium-plus bodied, chalky and full-bodied tannins, fruit is still wound quite tightly. Give this an extended decent if approaching now, has the structure to go more years. (W)
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Clean. Medium(+) intensity with aromas of cassis eucalyptus plum anise and espresso.
Dry. Medium alcohol. Medium acidity. Medium body. Medium(+) intensity with flavours of cassis eucalyptus plum and tar.
Medium(+) finish. Very good. Drink now suitable for further ageing. Amazingly fresh well balanced great complexity. Definitely CS with the green notes as spice not the main course. Great value that shows the rewards of ageing.
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Graphite and bramble. Slight stalky crunch. Firm structured core that time has started to round and soften the edges. Moreish. Lots of drinkability here.
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Another very good bottle. I'd like the boisterous fruit to settle down just a bit as this ages. Don't get me wrong, this is nothing like the ooze-monsters of yesteryear (I'm talking about you, Marquis Philips!). There's so much detail here to go along with the substantial fruit, with savory, herbal Cabernet flavors that don't have the varietal character ripened out of it. Tannin is also fairly prominent still, which should tame down with a bit more time sideways. Super interesting and pleasing Cabernet at this stage, though, and I look forward to tasting this again a few years from now.
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Opaque black colour with light purple hue. Aroma of white pepper, cumin, oak shavings, sawdust, leaves. Blackberry, plum and blueberry flavour. Fine but gritty tannin, lively acidity. Lots of fruit, full body but the tannin gives it a dry finish. I think it is still too young, needs at least a couple more years, if not more. Still think it will become a great wine, but not quite yet.
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{screwcap, 13.5%} Classic, leafy, twig-and-basil cabernet from Wynn’s. Some currant fruit and a hint of chocolate. Medium-bodied palate with medium acid, low/medium open and gently gritty tannins. Only a nudge of vanilla oak. Gently drying palate which avoids too much of a hole, but tails off a bit at the back of the tongue. Certainly no fruit bomb, if still new world, but a good middling cabernet, nicely varietal, with another decade of mellowing easily in front of it. Terrific value, if lacking the last frisson of excitement.
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13.5% abv. Screwcap. Solid, well-made Cab. Still youthful with good structure. A little vanilla and cocoa, but really, not too much oak influence, as the currant fruit is at the forefront. One might find this slightly jammy, but I didn't find it to be a problem. This still has years ahead of it and should improve with more bottle age. A very high quality Cabernet for the price.
Checking in on this wine to see if it’s budged yet. Not much, but a little.
Colour is starting to come in from the rim, but it’s deep purple red core stares you down in defiance.
Black olive, blue and red fruits, a touch of oak flutters in the background and cooling mint and green herbs round out the nose.
Dusty tannins and creamy oak find early momentum on entry, where the Coonawarra rich red currant remind you of home. There’s that touch of tomato bush that you see in wines going back to 91 Centennary which tells you which part of the terra rossa you are playing in. A Wynns signature.
Black olive and blackcurrant pull you through the mid palate where the wine feels little lighter and translucent but the meaty savoury grip of black olive tapenade and crunchy and perfectly ripe Cabernet skins keep it fresh and lets the wine ride above the emerging cedar, creamy oak bed, and fine savoury tannins like a figure skater.
A lovely wine, a slow moving one at that. Adolescence after 7 years in a $22 bought wine. A clear break in the bigger house style seen in the nineties and naughties.
Jammy cabernet maybe a little too much residual sugar. Chewy mouth feel, mellow tannins. Not built for the long haul. Screw top. Restaurant Cab $18/glass no one will complain. Drinks day 2 as same as day 1.
Jammy cabernet maybe a little too much residual sugar. Chewy mouth feel, mellow tannins. Not built for the long haul. Screw top. Restaurant Cab $18/glass no one will complain. Drinks day 2 as same as day 1.
Twist and pour, consumed over 3 hours. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness, blueberry, eucalyptus, saddle leather, and black olives - very interesting. Palate: Medium-full bodied, black and blue fruit attack, solid acidic back-bone drives a nice mid-palate lift, dark earth and minerals dominate the back-end. Finish: Medium length dominated by slightly tart dark fruit and earthiness.
Had this last about a year ago and it seems to be trending in right direction. The harsh edges displayed last year have smoothed noticeably this evening. I think that trend will continue for the next 3-5 years.
Colour deep red purple impenetrable density crimson edges 15/15 Nose good intensity and super complexity , wave after wave of aromas Redcurrant and blackcurrant, almost wild raspberry , violet aromas, chocolate spice ,cedar, cinnamon, tobacco, dried herbs , probably on balance still has some distance to go to reach full potential 28/30 Palate Medium bodied , fine grained tannin still has the upper hand but plenty of fruit in reserve and a crunchy acidic finish. Perfect balance between acid tannin and fruit , lacks intensity of flavour 41/44 Overall Classic Coonawarra , will continue to develop over the years 9/11
Tremendously spicy juice, almost overwhelming. Also plenty of alcohol, but backed up by quite a bit of structure. Kind of hard around the edges, this may need a little more time to really shine.
A bit closed on opening but opened up over the next 90 minutes to reveal dark berries and cassis, a bit of eucalypt and mint, good acid, tannins and wood. Very balanced and smooth with good length. Will likely cellar for another decade. Very good. 91
Consumed over 4 hours. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness - impressive in its complexity, black berry, eucalyptus, dark chocolate, earthiness, and dark flowers - very nice. Palate: Medium bodied, gritty dark fruit attack, turns tart through the mid-palate where spice and licorice join in. Finish: Medium length dominated by tart dark fruit, spice, and earthiness. Dynamic on the nose and a little harsh on the palate, but quite enjoyable overall.
Plumb and blackberry with mint and olive notes. Austere with a dry finish. Good balance and fresh acidity to this one. Structured. One for aging. Drink now-2025.
Deep purple red with medium viscosity. A subdued and youthful nose of blackberries, black plums and cinnamon oak.The palate has a tartness to its cranberry, red currant and black cherry flavours.Elemental, raw and acidic at the moment; needing time to come together to form a more supple, cohesive wine. Looking forward to opening my next bottle in a couple of years to check on its development.
This surprised me - smooth, has some dust, not as nuanced or classy as its dusty Rutherford sibling from far away but the dust is definitely still there. Great dark fruit, blackberry predominantly, both on the nose and the palate. Really good QPR. Drinking very well at the moment.
Chewy cab. There is no escaping the effects of Australian heat on cabernet sauvignon grapes. Good with food or rich cheese. But largely, un-remarkable.
The post from ANONYMOUSCOWARD below pretty much captures my thoughts on this wine. Plenty of correct, ripe, new world fruit. Good depth, good balance, a little minty menthol. Maybe a touch jammy. Solid. No "wow" factor, but still a very good Cabernet.
Edit: forgot to mention that the aromatics were very strong and enjoyable. And what I mean by the "no wow factor" is that this is not slathered in oak, which is a good thing in my book.
Blackberry, plums, cherries and olive on the nose. Smooth but present tannins. The finish adds notes of mint and vanillin oak. Nice now, but I suspect better at the 10 year mark.
Nose shows strong notes of blackcurrant, violet, vanilla, and graphite. Palate shows rich, ripe blackcurrant fruit (plus sweet oak and a touch of violet), balanced by strong, powdery tannin and firm acid.
Intense notes of plum and blackcurrant, smoky notes of anise and charred oak, hints of eucalyptus and bay leaf. The strong fruit was balanced by heavy tannin and a touch of sharp acid. The structure was excellent, and several tasters said that the wine had great ageing potential.
We had this with some skirt steak, spring onion, soft-boiled eggs, and broccolini. On the nose it exhibits cool notes, herbs, tobacco box, and river rock. On the palate, it is relatively fruit forward, has a bit of spice, and firm tannins. A decent cab at the price and even better with steak.
Still very young. Rich with already smooth tannins. Very balanced. Medium intensity aromas of black berries, spices and vanilla. Will evolve over a very long period, especially with the screwcap. This wine will still be in perfect shape in 15 years.
Härligt intensiv näsa med både mörk och röd frukt (vinbär, björnbär, lingon!) ek (ceder) och dessutom tertiära nyanser som tobak och läder. Medelfylligt, men smakrikt, balanserat med mjuka tanniner, bra syra och med en imponerande längd. Jag har två flaskor kvar, och jag gör mig ingen brådska med att korka upp dem, det här vinet kommer bara att bli bättre i åtminstone tio år till. Till lammfärsbiffar med tomatsås och klyftpotatis.
The wine looks violet/purple colored. The legs are slowish. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like dark fruit, black current, blackberry with some cranberry, cedar, oak, lead pencil and eucalyptus. It tastes like blackberry, currant, cedar and tobacco. The body is medium/full. The wine has an oft-coarse texture with fine tannins. The wine finishes medium/long. The wine has medium acidity. Very good, albeit a little closed right now, will open another bottle in a year or two.
Medium ruby red with deep core. A little dirty on the nose with some cheese and herbs. Finally opened up on day two with baking spices, vanilla, red cherries and light dark cocoa. Moderate tannins (6/10) and quite a bit of acidity, this needs some time to integrate. Medium bodied with some red cherries, and light greenery, a little woody too. Definitely got thicker on day two with an overload of dark cocoa. Medium plus almost long dry finish. Will be very interesting to revisit this bottling in a few years once it has some time to fully integrate. Drink from 2018 till 2026.
On the nose, bay leaf and liquorice with a pinch of ethanol. Excellent acidity strikes you immediately. Ruby red in colour. Red fruits to the fore, raspberry the key player. Blackberry also plays a part, blackcurrant too. Doesn't have the syrupy cassis of some Australian cabernets; rather, it's essentially a dry wine. Cigar box, menthol, bay leaf and aniseed on the palate. Excellent spine of gripping tannin. Beautifully crafted and drinking well now, but it will be better from 2021+
Pure sexy bouquet of tart dark berries, pithy purple plums, açaí, muddled thick petal flowers, peppers, earth, tobacco, and restrained oak imparted spices. Concentrated, gritty, and robust attack, massive middle, gripping back, substantive finish. The wine actually drinks like a 75 to 80 percent Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, with a balance of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec...in that order. Great use of oak and surprisingly low alcohol for such a dense wine allow the fruit and earth to shine, and also impart great balance. The kicker is a crème de cassis-like textural weight similar to fine Saint Julien offerings. A little more complexity on the finish would push this to 94+ point wine. Likely not an extended ager, as it is made in a robust, concentrated, and approachable style that begs to be enjoyed now and over the next five to seven years. Delicious!
intenseley ripe and extracetd, decent freshness, with a green candied pyrazine note. not so overipe to be identified by varietal, but perhaps a bit lost in the new world milleu, and lacking a distinctive use of sweet oak. perhaps there are other more clearly coonawara cabs out there, but I'm not sure if the criteron usually used ( mint, eucalyptus) for auusie cab are necessarily what i want anyway
Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, black cherry, black berry, dark chocolate, marzipan, and shoe leather. Palate: Medium-full bodied, black cherry attack, nice acidic driven mid-palate lift, black pepper and menthol join in the back-end. Finish: Medium length dominated by spicy dark fruit and tobacco. A great QPR which lacks depth of character but displays great balance,
For those wishing to explore why Aussie's extol the Coonawarra Cab Sauv and are looking for a consistent entry level example, then Wynns Black Label would be a great starting point. And specifically, as would this 2012 and 57th vintage from this iconic Terra Rossa patch of red Aussie dirt. And for those that follow the ratings, Halliday gave this '12 an impressive 96.
Trying this 14 months on, the nose is still deeply scented and the palate rich, balanced and medium-bodied, as intense blackberries, dark cherries, slightly salted black olives, plummed spices and mint flow seamlessly to a fine lingering finish. Still years ahead of it.
Given the price (under $22 a bottle from Wine Market with some discount codes and cash back offer) and its corresponding age worthiness, it gets a Wozza 95/100 (4.2) from me.
Took a while to open up once decanted so as for most of the BL's this will live long. Dark fruits on the palate and a decent nose given it was would up pretty tightly. Really enjoyed this one and will put the rest to sleep for a while yet.
Bought a case of this on special. It won't blow you away, but for the price point (AU$30 a bottle), it is an excellent value wine. Still needs some aging as the first day it was quite tight, however by the second day- strawberries and cream, ripe berry fruits, and vanilla toffee had emerged. The cream and toffee are subtle, but they are there- turn off the TV and focus on what you're drinking to find them. A consistent, velvety smooth wine with soft tannins, and it is my solid choice for a mid-week afterwork wind-down with home cooked dinner. I would gladly stock up on this.
Black fruits and spice dominate the nose. Both stewed and fresh fruits. A green note is present and I cannot discern if it's still from Oak or an underripe tannin issue. Dark and peppery in the palate. Plum skin, fresh blackberry and black currant with leaves and stems present. Integrated tannins but green. Clove and sweet spice. Perhaps some added bottle time will integrate. Hold.
Initially rather closed with loads of raspberry notes. Needed 3-4 h before it opened up.
Ap: Dark blackish purple Ar: fairly complex blackcurrant and plums. Suprisingly modest and integrated oak. Good intensity. Full bodied and rich with good balance and nice acidity. Good level of tannins, but relatively fine-grained. Very good length
50+4+13+16+8
lot of wine for the price. One my top QPR's. Lot of potential here. Try to leave my other bottles for a few years.
Same notes as 5 weeks ago. Wasn't quite a magical tonight but probably because of my high expectations. Round, flavourful and well balanced. Will let the rest of these sit for a year.
Big dark fruit, vanilla, oak and purple fruit on the nose. A new world nose. Palate was simple and easy going. The underlying fruit did not have the ripeness and roundness I like about aussie cab.
Incredible value. Complex and tasty. Big dark fruit and oak with dusty floral notes. While there is a lot of fruit, I'm not sure there is the structure to age long term. Tannins are light. By Day 2, I found the wine to become flabby.
Beautiful Cabernet. I would have guessed an excellent Bordeaux. Big black currant combined with subtle oak aromas, quite complex. Extremely balanced, this will age for at least 10-15 years. Excellent length. I have 11 bottles...and I'm thinking about buying more! Wine of 2015 from Vancouver Magazine.
Drank off free list at Capella. Surprisingly decent? Could have passed for decent young Bordeaux, but lacked great finesse and complexity with time in glass. Still, not bad.
Unscrewed and poured, consumed over 4 hours. Nose: Medium expressiveness, blueberry, plum, saddle leather and hints of tobacco. Palate: Medium-full bodied, sweet blue fruit attack, acidic presence balances out the sweet fruit thru the mid-palate, sweet tobacco flavors appear in the back-end. Finish: Medium length dominated by blue fruit and tobacco.
Fruity but we'll structured. Loads of crunchy dark berries, eucalyptus, and cedar. Tannins are still a bit harsh so give it at least 30 minutes, but there's a nice bright acidity.
Apperance bright crimson almost opaque Nose started opening up after about an hour, strong chocolate/ mocha oak making way for the deep blackberry fruit and mulberries some menthol Palate is more savoury medium body black fruits and cedar. Medium finish with firm fine tannins 90+ Hold.
Didn't take notes, but had a couple of glasses of this last night. Pretty closed, but this had more oak on the medium bodied palate than I was expecting. Interesting to read all the notes on CT on this wine - I didn't get any heat at all, and agree that this is a different kind of cab than many CA cab drinkers are used to: much lighter and much lower alcohol. But it certainly tastes like a cab, if a very young, closed down one at the moment. I'll wait another 5 years to try one... B+ right now.
Decanted about 2 hours. Quite lifted dark jammy fruit with a cassis aspect and a whiff of cinnamon on the nose. Medium to full bodied, robust, vibrant cassis and blackberries, dusty tannins, some heat coming through on the dusty finish. Well, I was slightly disappointed since it wasn´t as great as the previous CT-notes suggested. With more airtime it felt quite tannic and hot. Not bad by any means, but for now quite juvenile and a bit raw.
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Definitely fruit focused and new world while highlighting Cabernet's opulence and appeal.
nose of black fruit, currants, wet cement, tar and surprisingly subtle french oak. whiffs of cocoa and espresso but not overdone.
palate is more grand and concentrated with blackfruit preserves, cherry cordial, and all around sticky texture and tannin. The full bodied fruit is ripe and decadent but cabernet's trademark volcanic minerality shows itself alongside the present but balanced oak.
neither the acid or tannin are too jarring but this still feels raw and rough around the edges. i pickup a bit of heat and acrid dill note on the tail end but the massive fruit does a good job of masking this.
needs time, as others have said, but this can be enjoyed now depending on price and expectations. i don't buy the aging projections for this bottle but time will tell. Now-2023
this comes across more Napa than Colchagua
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Very dark in the glass with a bright purple hue on the rim. Rich dark fruit nose. Solid fruit that feels a bit cloudy with a slight stalky character on the finish. A few more years of age may mellow the robust nature of this wine.
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Big and bold, but presented with finesse and complexity. This cab exhibits a lot of what you'd expect from Coonawarra: rich dark fruits, licorice, mint/eucalyptus, and spice. With 25% undergoing maturation in new french oak, the wine also expresses some excellent, well integrated oak notes (namely vanilla and toast). The interplay between sweet and savoury is very much on point, as is the structure. Though the tannins and acidity are certainly notable, they don't over-extend themselves; the mouthfeel is still quite smooth. If anything, they're simply telling you that this bottle has years to go (if you can let it last that long)! This is an excellent wine for the price.
PnP drank over 2 hours - most likely not enough time. Dense ruby color, med weight, lots of black fruits, hint of smoke & tobacco, mostly sweetness, little tannin, little to no acidity, short finished, unbalanced wine overall. Completely different from tasting 2 months ago. Won't revisit until next year
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Ruby. Blackberry, cedar and some liquorice notes on the nose. Beautifully integrated. Dry, medium plus fine grained tannins, medium plus acidity, medium plus alcohol, medium bodied, long length. Blackcurrant on palate.
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PnD let air for 2hrs drank over 2 more hours saved 1/3 of the bottle to try tomorrow. Dark dense purple black with magenta rim. Cassi tar oak and cola on the nose. Medium weight with silky tannins. Plum cassis tar rosemary smoke and cola on the palate. Fell apart with air and became hot and flabby. Disappointing as I thought this might be a bargain for a bit of cellaring.
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TWE Portfolio Tasting (Prince Wine Store, Sydney): Mint and cassis with some roses and earth. Has plenty of undergrowth flavour even with the medium bodied fruit. I do like the style and this should age well as per usual with this label.
Colour is a deep dark red with magenta hue, relatively slow fat legs; nose is quite rich, strong spice, black berries, leaves; bold dark fruits up front on the palate chocolate and tobacco evident as secondary flavours; sweet tannins in perfect balance with the acidity, finish is medium-long. Excellent Cabernet, reflects the great vintage perfectly. Could see myself scoring this even better in 5-10 years.
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Dark core with reddish violet rim; sweet sugary plum and cherries, tar, brulee, floral, a little green pepper, higher alcohol, sweet raspberry, nice nose; denser mouthfeel, soft fine grained tannin, some alcohol (even though it says 13.5%), dark red fruit, tobacco, plum; not bad.
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Drank over 36 hours (4 nights) with light snacks each time. Beautiful rich color with plenty of black fruits aromas. IMHO, drank beautifully on day 3 & 4 as the primary fruits fades over time (re-cork only, no air pump or fridge - I was surprised wine last 4 nights with little fading). I think there's hints of vanilla, smoke, a tad herbs with a nice long finish of cocoa, dark chocolate. No hot alcohol, it seems nicely balanced. Just enough oak for my taste. Nice balance wine, and lots of umph to last for years....went back to buy more C$28
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My, at times snobbish, old world biased palate has really been schooled lately... Well, taste changes... Wine is a journey, like life, just have to enjoy the ride.. I just love this wine. Aromatically explosive: blackcurrant, blueberries, mint, vanilla, sweet tobacco, pine needles and hint of smoke. Cool and fresh on the palate; fresh blueberry and blackcurrant jam, mint tea, vanilla cream, herbaceousness. Supple and lively, with strong tannins and acidity leading the high pitched and delicious fruit seamlessly to a lifting finish and a long and drying, a bit herbal aftertaste. Oak gives just a nice finishing spice to the mix, nothing more. Alcohol is totally integrated. Nice elegance, and balance here. What can I say, this Aussie Cab delivers!
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Drunk over two days. Plenty of black fruit, which dominates the foreground, accompanied by herbs and oak-derived tones in the background. Also an odd citrus note - like an overripe orange - that's unusual, but interesting. Medium intensity and weight. Acidity is appropriate and tannins quite round and approachable. Doesn't feel too manufactured or overripe, which is nice. Will drink well for 15 years.
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Dense, opaque black-reddish color with a youthful blueish hue. A bit closed, yet still very opulent nose with ripe aromas of juicy plums, dark berries, jammy forest fruits, menthol, some Cognac tones of French oak and a hint of crème de cassis. The wine is full-bodied, quite concentrated and rather spicy on the palate with rich, extracted flavors of ripe dark berries, plummy dark fruits, some jammy tones, light mocha character, oaky hints of Cognac and a touch of allspice. The structure is balanced with moderately high acidity and quite ample, firm and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is very rich, powerful and moderately tannic with quite long flavors of ripe dark berries, mocha, some jammy dark fruits, a little bit of bittersweet dark chocolate and a hint of eucalyptus.
A ripe, rich and powerful Cab with a lot of everything, but unfortunately that applies to the ripeness and oak treatment as well. For me the wine just comes across as too jammy and too oaky, rendering this otherwise impressive and structured Cabernet quite dull and boring. Although I could perhaps guess correctly that this is a Cabernet Sauvignon, were the wine served to me blind, it is not very obviously so, because the almost excessive ripeness of the fruit has made the wine come across just vague ripe red wine with very little varietal character, and the heavy-handed oak treatment seems to drown out most of the nuances. Perhaps this wine can turn out more impressive with age and most likely it will please the fans of big, bold Cabernets, but for me it offered quite little. At 19,90€ the wine felt somewhat overpriced for the style.
Drunk several days ago. This reminds me of the new new world balanced style with a flavor profile that includes cola. I've tasted similar wines from Italy and California. Enjoyable, but I wonder what causes this wine and others to remind me of cola. I hope it's nothing added.
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Nose has very strong fruit but is very closed and tight. A hint of oak in the background smothered by intense blackcurrant and blackberry. The palate matches the nose, with intense black fruit and strong acid and tannin. Seems nice, but it's hard to judge at such a young age.
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I have drunk this over three nights and, while it would benefit from a long decant, it has been undeniably lovely from start to finish. It's now just starting to dry out a little but there is still plenty of plums, raspberry, black currant and mint on the palate with great tannin structure. This has loads of potential and ideally I'd be looking at opening my others from 2018, but it will require a fair bit of will power.
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3/31/2024 - Brigitte Bordeaux wrote:
Som sist, men lite mer integrerade smaker. Mycket fruktigt och gott.
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2/11/2024 - Moloko Likes this wine: 94 Points
Awesome wine. Complex with vibrant fruits and no sign of aging badly. Blackberry, cigar and subtle mint. This will continue to age wonderfully like a majestic brumby in the southern highlands.
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12/24/2023 - Bandreas Likes this wine:
Tasted at Cutler & Co with Bea, Victoria and Martin for Christmas eve dinner:
Nicely complex, deep and long; very many facets. Like Chatters predicted: the wine really blossoms when it has some extended bottle age.
My love for Coonawarra wines continues unabated since more than 50 years....
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5/20/2023 - cm2 Likes this wine:
Excellent drinking now
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3/26/2023 - Pj28 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big bold and robust red, drinking well now but will continue over the next 5 years. A wonderful example of this consistently great Coonawarra red.
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9/4/2022 - Avid Wino wrote: 92 Points
Cigar box, mint, blackberry, blackcurrant. Mid weight for a black label. Excellent balance. Ample length. Pretty much bang on average for the label in attributes and quality, and drinking well at 10 years old, though plenty of good years still ahead.
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8/20/2022 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 88 Points
Vintage 2012 Tasting: classic cassis flavours with quite powerful tannins, relatively simple, not overly complex, but has some cedary complexity.
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7/13/2022 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beaucoup de tanins, un peu rugueux. Tout de même une belle impression de plénitude, beaucoup de fruits très murs.
Finale un brin rustique.
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3/26/2022 - Brigitte Bordeaux wrote:
Stor doft, örtigt, eukalyptus förstås, svartvinbär, fylligt komplext, avrundade tanniner, lång eftersmak. Väl värt att vänta på
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1/3/2022 - PKim Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank beautiful today.
Double decanted
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12/31/2021 - PKim Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is great stuff
Lots of fruit still.
Tannins are smoothening out. Still mint aromatics but more subtle and not as pronounced as 2015.
Still youthful but likely to improve with further ageing.
Can’t think of a better QPR wine.
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12/31/2021 - StewartWent Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bang on in the zone. Soft, just short of plush with grainy berry fruit, vanilla oak. Decent length but the oak helps.
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12/10/2021 - RichardU71 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful Coonawarra expression with lots of dark sweet fruit, great balance with integrated tannins providing a robust foundation making it a great pairing with heavier food. We had it with coffee rubbed fillet which worked really well. Its still young and has many years of development ahead so I will keep the rest of my bottles for a few more years.
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11/26/2021 - GD77 wrote: 93 Points
Drinking well but really should give it some more time. Eucalyptus is much stronger than I remember. It is well made, on the richer side of Black Labels still with those lovely furry tannins and acid holding. I honestly think this will be a much longer term wine than say the 2015 which I tried recently. The 2015 has more enjoyment at this point but this should live into its 20s.
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10/29/2021 - prasm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consumed over 2 days (re-sealed and refrigerated), note from day 2. Appearance: Clear, just starting to show some bricking - medium ruby. Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity with developing aromas of blackberry, bell pepper, eucalyptus, saddle leather, and violet. Palate: Dry, medium+ acid and tannin, full body, medium+ intensity with flavors of dried blackberry, eucalyptus, and earth with a long finish. Overall a very good wine with great balance and length along with very good complexity and intensity. Seems to be peaking at this time, drink now or over the next couple years.
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9/5/2021 - ferronferron Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good wine but nothing truly distinctive about it. Super bold. Compared to the 2010 this one stands up much to time. Drank over 2-days. Really bold day 1. Smoothed out day two and more drinkable.
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8/27/2021 - WineHors Likes this wine:
Very nice perfume nose and soft with slight cool minty w/ light-medium weight
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8/8/2021 - Raki wrote:
I think the wine is in a bit of a dull phase right now. Hanging in no mans land. Still, a tidy wine with promise. Will be revisiting in another couple of years.
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7/30/2021 - RichardFlack wrote: 90 Points
Good. Single decant (fine sediment) tasted over about five hours. V dark, looking younger than it’s age. Black fruit on nose. Palate is polished, tannins have smoothed out. Medium to full body. No real secondary notes. Medium length not overly complex. Easy drinking. Should be a crowd pleaser.
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7/11/2021 - ferronferron wrote: 90 Points
Thin. Easy drinking. Probably at peak at best. Day two a little weaker than day 1. Low fruit but very drinkable.
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7/10/2021 - mrwineface wrote: 92 Points
Plenty of fruit, acidity on the mid and back palate, tannins working and integrating well. It’s like a wash of velvet over the mouth. High quality new world Cabernet in that SA style. Will go another 10 years.
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6/26/2021 - whme Likes this wine: 94 Points
Agree, about to enter a gorgeous zone. Well balanced. Plenty fruit to carry this many more years. No rush.
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4/17/2021 - Screwcaps Likes this wine: 94 Points
2012 Wynns
Filtered and immediate double decant back in to the bottle 8 hours ahead of wife’s birthday dinner.
Drank from crap cafe style goblets (expected much more of the restaurant given their high corkage rate, but then again the champagne flutes they gave us for a Billi BdB were Duralex too) this was enjoyed by all- even non red drinkers.
It’s hitting its drinking window. The wine remains dark in colour, and flavours fresh, but the tannins have softened and now very supple. No obvious typical mint either. No tertiary flavours evident in this setting, this was certainly a crowd pleaser. Even my wife, who rarely drinks red, found this Cabernet to her liking.
Again, from sub par glasses and a party environment, this medium weight dry red is in the zone to enjoy now. But it will hold for 10 years or more such is its youthfulness and structure. No less than last bottle, 94.
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3/17/2021 - HU Likes this wine: 93 Points
We always loved this wine! Excellent cab, unfolds after an hour or two, with spices, pepper, blackberry and an intriguing potpourri of tastes and nuances.
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3/3/2021 - Matt@5453 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for an hour before consumption. Very tightly wound initially, it slowly started to open up a bit more over the ensuing hours. Very youthful still, primary fruits on display; Cassis, tabacco leaf, with nice spice tones from the French oak. The tannins have softened since I last tried it, but still a bit firm on the finish. Still showing good acidity. A nice finish with a touch of menthol. Overall I feel it is a 'young' wine still, given good storage conditions and screw cap – I think its best years will be drinking from 15-20 years of age.
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2/27/2021 - Screwcaps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dep red-purple, slowly coming in from the rim. Dusty, leafy and cooked plums on the nose with cacao nibs.
Sappy medium to full bodied on entry, it glides. Cooked purple with some crunchy black fruit skins proving freshness.
Sappy and savoury mushroom and black olive fatten the middle.
Finishes with some crunchy black fruit, a hint of capsicum and cooling menthol. It’s getting it’s old wine boots on with a lovely sapidity and translucency, but there’s a hint of burnt oak that I want it to lose still.
It’s aged a lot in 12 months based on this bottle alone, but it’s got more to give.
If I only had one bottle left I’d drink in 2 years. I’ll have one or two between now and then because it’s such a delight.
It’s drinking well now, but it’s turned a tertiary development corner- the new touch of cigar leaf/tobacco through the aftertaste is a beautiful detail.
94. It’s settling in to its groove. This is why people put Black Label under their house.
Ps- I did not look at my last score before giving this one.
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1/22/2021 - Tony1157 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully
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1/7/2021 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 92 Points
Deep ruby red. A bit of herbs on the nose with cherries, gravel, spices and a bit green. Medium tannins (6.5/10) and medium to medium plus body. A bit of baking spices on the palate with crushed berries and gravel. Well rounded, solid acidity with a long finish. Drink till 2026.
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1/7/2021 - cab blends wrote: 89 Points
This came across as an Italian/South African or Australian wine given the acidity in the back end.
This definitely improves with time out of the bottle. (and it needs some time)
The fruit comes through with time. Fairly strong acidity on the back end with the fiinish. Definitely a food wine.
Initially 87 but the air got me to 89.
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12/4/2020 - bowesmana Likes this wine: 91 Points
Inky and dark fruits
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11/27/2020 - forceberry wrote: 86 Points
13,5% alcohol. Aged for 16 months in oak barrels. Tasted blind.
Youthful and rather opaque blackish-red color. Somewhat sweet-toned but also rather cool nose with aromas of sweet blackcurrants, some sweet and toasty oak spice, light jammy notes of dark berries, a hint of plummy fruit and a touch of menthol. The wine is ripe, juicy and somewhat sweetish with flavors of ripe blackcurrants and savory wood spice, some peppery spice, a little bit of chocolatey mocha oak, light notes of licorice, a hint of marmaladey dark fruit and a touch of vanilla. The structure relies mostly on the moderately high acidity, although the ripe medium-minus tannins bring in some firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is quite long, somewhat warm and gently grippy with juicy flavors of ripe blackcurrants, some woody spice, a little bit of chocolatey mocha oak, light extracted notes of woody bitterness, a hint of jammy black raspberry and a touch of vanilla.
A well-made but also quite generic new world red. There's nothing too much or too little and the overall feel is balanced. However, the wine still comes across as quite polished and very predictable, having no rough edges or any character of its own. This is drinkable, but nothing special to write home about. The blackcurrant-driven fruit makes me automatically think of Cabernet Sauvignon, so I'd say this is either an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon or a CS-driven blend from South Africa; probably 2016 or 2017. And what do you know! The wine turned out to be not only an Aussie Cab, but also a wine I had taste before, some 5 years ago! The wine has improved a little from what it was, but not much; furthermore, I was surprised how very little evolution the wine showed for its age - I guess that's just the screwcap doing its thing? All in all, a somewhat enjoyable effort, but nothing special to write home about; expensive for the quality at 19,90€.
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11/21/2020 - 03141455 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day 1 90 p
Trevlig aussie full med varm frukt,bra syra och bra länd.
Dock en aning spretigt
Day 2 92
allt har kommit ihop till en imponerande symfoni som slår de mesta i sin prisklass och slår många dyrare aussie cab.
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10/24/2020 - Bsmith457 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Black colour with a thin dark crimson hue. Strong aroma of old oak, dried leaves, stewed plum, light varnish. Dark chocolate, blackberry, liquorice. Smooth fine tannin persisting throughout. Balanced acidity. Full body, long finish. Drinking well, no sign of deterioration.
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10/21/2020 - WineZac wrote: 94 Points
A bottle I bought from someone else's underground cellar. Opened and decanted for an hour, already drinking well.
Deep red, starting to show the slightest bit of bricky red on the rim, just a touch, this wine still has many years ahead. On the nose, unmistakably Coonawarra cabernet, especially appreciating the green olive juice. Very well balanced wine with delicious long acid and oak, but the fruit has the same length. While delicious now, excited to see how this develops over the years. Palate deep and bold, powdery tennis are lovely. Blueberries, blackberries, green and kalamata olives, eucalyptus, and the French oak leave you wanting more.
Equally delicious the second day, just softer. 94 points for a $25 bottle.
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9/9/2020 - bboard Likes this wine:
No detail notes. Night and day compare to last tasted 2015. Wine drinks well, med+ body, med+ length finish. Well balanced.
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8/24/2020 - Screwcaps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Same score.
Popped and poured for our 8th wedding anniversary. Good straight off the bat. Open and tannins are ripe. It’s ready, in that the tannins have folded in to the wine, but will hold for many more years with its round and fresh palate.
Purple is coming in from the rim with a touch of red. Coonawarra mint, black olive, and leafy cassis nose.
Lands with full bodied weight, but crunchy black and red fruit give it a nice line. There’s a nice translucent window to the fruit from the mid palate- like a purple wine gum lolly, that transitions to black olive, leafy blackcurrants and the beginnings of savoury mushroom and notes carry through.
Finish has a chewy menthol lick that provides an added freshness along with crunchy red fruits.
It’s very good, and exceptional value. 4.25-4.5/5 or 94. Drink now, or leave for another 5 years for more of those savoury notes to emerge. This will still be drinking well at age 20, they have an amazing capacity to hold.
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8/14/2020 - GD77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely cabernet and a great Black Label. Just in its drinking window but many would prefer another five years or so. Good structure and balance, acidity holding it in place. A touch of pepper and typical eucalypt. Fine tannin, long dry finish with a touch of capsicum creeping in. Finesse come to mind.
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8/4/2020 - nulla wrote: 92 Points
This is good, getting better with each passing year. Just so well balanced with smooth rich body and excellent length. I will try to pace the remaining 4 bottles over the next 5-10 years to see how it transitions to the tertiary stage. 92+
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7/11/2020 - Mic Mac Likes this wine:
Too young to try the first of six but wanted a comparison with a couple of other 2012 Cabernet. Needs time. Will be excellent. Lovely tannin.
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7/5/2020 - beathy wrote:
Good wine for the price
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6/24/2020 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Much better than my last tasting. This Cab is in a very good place right now. Really expressive and intense on the nose & palate. Rich texture and well structured, it offers wonderful aromas of red berries and eucalyptus. Big red, but still supported by a nice acidity, so the wine doesn't feel heavy. At this point in time it's challenging its big brother, the John Riddoch Cuvée. Enjoy now or cellar for another 15-20 years...I'm sure it will go the distance.
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6/17/2020 - prasm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined and refrigerated), note from day 2. Nose: Medium-plus intensity, eucalyptus, dark fruit - dominated by blackberry with blueberry undertones, and subtle green vegetable notes - quite lovely. Palate: Medium-full bodied, nice mouth-feel, spicy black fruit dominates the attack and persists nicely through the mid-palate, with earthy notes joining in the back-end. Finish: Medium-plus length dominated by earthy dark fruit and spice. This wine continues to improve with age no longer showing any sense of the harsh edges which appeared in previous years. Drinking wonderfully at the moment, but hasn't peaked yet - 2-5+ years.
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4/18/2020 - Rayden wrote: 91 Points
This is Wynns central. Very enjoyable drinking right now
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3/17/2020 - PIntag wrote: 91 Points
Another stellar bottle of this Cabernet. Enjoyed with Irish stew!
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12/9/2019 - lightning wrote: 90 Points
Coonawarra capsicum on the nose. Medium-plus bodied, chalky and full-bodied tannins, fruit is still wound quite tightly. Give this an extended decent if approaching now, has the structure to go more years. (W)
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12/5/2019 - df1962 wrote: 92 Points
PnD let air for 1hr. Drank over 2hrs.
Clear deep ruby almost purple.
Clean. Medium(+) intensity with aromas of cassis eucalyptus plum anise and espresso.
Dry. Medium alcohol. Medium acidity. Medium body. Medium(+) intensity with flavours of cassis eucalyptus plum and tar.
Medium(+) finish. Very good. Drink now suitable for further ageing. Amazingly fresh well balanced great complexity. Definitely CS with the green notes as spice not the main course. Great value that shows the rewards of ageing.
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11/23/2019 - A_Steady Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice, still a baby
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11/16/2019 - Matt_D Likes this wine: 91 Points
Graphite and bramble. Slight stalky crunch. Firm structured core that time has started to round and soften the edges. Moreish. Lots of drinkability here.
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11/15/2019 - marcellonegro wrote: 85 Points
Dark plum and blackberry. Oak spice.
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10/24/2019 - PIntag wrote: 91 Points
Another very good bottle. I'd like the boisterous fruit to settle down just a bit as this ages. Don't get me wrong, this is nothing like the ooze-monsters of yesteryear (I'm talking about you, Marquis Philips!). There's so much detail here to go along with the substantial fruit, with savory, herbal Cabernet flavors that don't have the varietal character ripened out of it. Tannin is also fairly prominent still, which should tame down with a bit more time sideways. Super interesting and pleasing Cabernet at this stage, though, and I look forward to tasting this again a few years from now.
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10/3/2019 - kiwi64 wrote: 92 Points
well balanced, still has good fruit , could keep longer if you have these in your cellar
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9/26/2019 - Gdubya Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice. Still young and developing very well. As always with WBL awesome QPR. Glad I have more. 92-93pts
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9/24/2019 - Bsmith457 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opaque black colour with light purple hue. Aroma of white pepper, cumin, oak shavings, sawdust, leaves. Blackberry, plum and blueberry flavour. Fine but gritty tannin, lively acidity. Lots of fruit, full body but the tannin gives it a dry finish. I think it is still too young, needs at least a couple more years, if not more. Still think it will become a great wine, but not quite yet.
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8/31/2019 - kiwi64 Likes this wine: 92 Points
plenty to like, possibly better on the second night
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8/23/2019 - graemeg wrote:
{screwcap, 13.5%} Classic, leafy, twig-and-basil cabernet from Wynn’s. Some currant fruit and a hint of chocolate. Medium-bodied palate with medium acid, low/medium open and gently gritty tannins. Only a nudge of vanilla oak. Gently drying palate which avoids too much of a hole, but tails off a bit at the back of the tongue. Certainly no fruit bomb, if still new world, but a good middling cabernet, nicely varietal, with another decade of mellowing easily in front of it. Terrific value, if lacking the last frisson of excitement.
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8/12/2019 - hatchy10 wrote:
Jeremy Oliver 95/100
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8/2/2019 - Jason Wu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby red, eucalyptus, liquorice, gamy, dry flour, plum, high tannin+ acidity+ very long finish
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8/1/2019 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Rond, suave, presque gras, beaucoup d'extraction,
un brincapiteux et résolument moderne
mais bien fait pour ce style.
Longueur incroyable!
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7/30/2019 - PIntag wrote: 91 Points
13.5% abv. Screwcap.
Solid, well-made Cab. Still youthful with good structure. A little vanilla and cocoa, but really, not too much oak influence, as the currant fruit is at the forefront. One might find this slightly jammy, but I didn't find it to be a problem. This still has years ahead of it and should improve with more bottle age. A very high quality Cabernet for the price.
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6/5/2019 - Screwcaps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Checking in on this wine to see if it’s budged yet. Not much, but a little.
Colour is starting to come in from the rim, but it’s deep purple red core stares you down in defiance.
Black olive, blue and red fruits, a touch of oak flutters in the background and cooling mint and green herbs round out the nose.
Dusty tannins and creamy oak find early momentum on entry, where the Coonawarra rich red currant remind you of home. There’s that touch of tomato bush that you see in wines going back to 91 Centennary which tells you which part of the terra rossa you are playing in. A Wynns signature.
Black olive and blackcurrant pull you through the mid palate where the wine feels little lighter and translucent but the meaty savoury grip of black olive tapenade and crunchy and perfectly ripe Cabernet skins keep it fresh and lets the wine ride above the emerging cedar, creamy oak bed, and fine savoury tannins like a figure skater.
A lovely wine, a slow moving one at that. Adolescence after 7 years in a $22 bought wine. A clear break in the bigger house style seen in the nineties and naughties.
The best value wine in Australia.
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5/31/2019 - CC-OZ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very enjoyable already. Round, smooth and complex. Should hold for at least another 10-15 years. Patience is needed. Great vintage.
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5/23/2019 - brisbane piefan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking well but no rush.
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3/13/2019 - willwiney Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious.
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1/26/2019 - daegde Likes this wine: 89 Points
Jammy cabernet maybe a little too much residual sugar. Chewy mouth feel, mellow tannins. Not built for the long haul. Screw top. Restaurant Cab $18/glass no one will complain. Drinks day 2 as same as day 1.
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1/26/2019 - daegde Likes this wine: 88 Points
Jammy cabernet maybe a little too much residual sugar. Chewy mouth feel, mellow tannins. Not built for the long haul. Screw top. Restaurant Cab $18/glass no one will complain. Drinks day 2 as same as day 1.
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1/21/2019 - DanielJH wrote: 93 Points
This is very shy at the moment and coiled up. Screw cap wines seem to have changed the game for ageing. Feels like it needs time.
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1/19/2019 - prasm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Twist and pour, consumed over 3 hours. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness, blueberry, eucalyptus, saddle leather, and black olives - very interesting. Palate: Medium-full bodied, black and blue fruit attack, solid acidic back-bone drives a nice mid-palate lift, dark earth and minerals dominate the back-end. Finish: Medium length dominated by slightly tart dark fruit and earthiness.
Had this last about a year ago and it seems to be trending in right direction. The harsh edges displayed last year have smoothed noticeably this evening. I think that trend will continue for the next 3-5 years.
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1/7/2019 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still struggle to believe a wine as good as this can be found for $30 a bottle. Best value around.
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12/17/2018 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely wine - just hitting its straps. The youthful edge now mellowing. For under $30 this has to be the best value cabernet out there.
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11/2/2018 - The Beldens Likes this wine: 90 Points
Loads of berries yet well balanced. Very enjoyable.
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10/9/2018 - LindsayM Likes this wine: 93 Points
Top 25% from Wynns estate fruit
Colour deep red purple impenetrable density crimson edges 15/15
Nose good intensity and super complexity , wave after wave of aromas Redcurrant and blackcurrant, almost wild raspberry , violet aromas, chocolate spice ,cedar, cinnamon, tobacco, dried herbs , probably on balance still has some distance to go to reach full potential 28/30
Palate Medium bodied , fine grained tannin still has the upper hand but plenty of fruit in reserve and a crunchy acidic finish. Perfect balance between acid tannin and fruit , lacks intensity of flavour 41/44
Overall Classic Coonawarra , will continue to develop over the years 9/11
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7/25/2018 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Tremendously spicy juice, almost overwhelming. Also plenty of alcohol, but backed up by quite a bit of structure. Kind of hard around the edges, this may need a little more time to really shine.
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6/10/2018 - nulla Likes this wine: 91 Points
A bit closed on opening but opened up over the next 90 minutes to reveal dark berries and cassis, a bit of eucalypt and mint, good acid, tannins and wood. Very balanced and smooth with good length. Will likely cellar for another decade. Very good. 91
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6/9/2018 - GB80 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Has a good balance and roundness. The wine has a full body and has a soft fruit finish.
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3/25/2018 - prasm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consumed over 4 hours. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness - impressive in its complexity, black berry, eucalyptus, dark chocolate, earthiness, and dark flowers - very nice. Palate: Medium bodied, gritty dark fruit attack, turns tart through the mid-palate where spice and licorice join in. Finish: Medium length dominated by tart dark fruit, spice, and earthiness. Dynamic on the nose and a little harsh on the palate, but quite enjoyable overall.
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3/9/2018 - hllam wrote:
black fruit, spicy, good CP
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2/4/2018 - Poisey wrote: 90 Points
Plumb and blackberry with mint and olive notes. Austere with a dry finish. Good balance and fresh acidity to this one. Structured. One for aging. Drink now-2025.
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12/25/2017 - Robbie K wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple red with medium viscosity. A subdued and youthful nose of blackberries, black plums and cinnamon oak.The palate has a tartness to its cranberry, red currant and black cherry flavours.Elemental, raw and acidic at the moment; needing time to come together to form a more supple, cohesive wine.
Looking forward to opening my next bottle in a couple of years to check on its development.
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11/10/2017 - Viinigubbe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good balance and roundness. Full bodied and strong wine with nice spicy flavours.
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11/9/2017 - EpochMD Likes this wine: 91 Points
This surprised me - smooth, has some dust, not as nuanced or classy as its dusty Rutherford sibling from far away but the dust is definitely still there. Great dark fruit, blackberry predominantly, both on the nose and the palate. Really good QPR. Drinking very well at the moment.
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10/21/2017 - df1962 wrote: 90 Points
PnD let air for 1hr. Consistent with previous note but well integrated and not hot. Nose is tar and mint. Lingering cassis and herbal finish.
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10/16/2017 - BlackMamba Likes this wine: 90 Points
Safe bet for the in-law dinner party. Boring but solid.
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9/22/2017 - daegde Likes this wine: 85 Points
Chewy cab. There is no escaping the effects of Australian heat on cabernet sauvignon grapes. Good with food or rich cheese. But largely, un-remarkable.
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9/16/2017 - PIntag wrote: 91 Points
The post from ANONYMOUSCOWARD below pretty much captures my thoughts on this wine. Plenty of correct, ripe, new world fruit. Good depth, good balance, a little minty menthol. Maybe a touch jammy. Solid. No "wow" factor, but still a very good Cabernet.
Edit: forgot to mention that the aromatics were very strong and enjoyable. And what I mean by the "no wow factor" is that this is not slathered in oak, which is a good thing in my book.
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8/21/2017 - noni15 wrote: 90 Points
Lack of fruit, peppery, ok, but not wow factor.
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7/16/2017 - PeterjW Likes this wine: 88 Points
well balanced with soft fruit
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6/25/2017 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blackberry, plums, cherries and olive on the nose. Smooth but present tannins. The finish adds notes of mint and vanillin oak. Nice now, but I suspect better at the 10 year mark.
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6/16/2017 - Drinking Trees wrote:
Nose shows strong notes of blackcurrant, violet, vanilla, and graphite. Palate shows rich, ripe blackcurrant fruit (plus sweet oak and a touch of violet), balanced by strong, powdery tannin and firm acid.
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5/9/2017 - DanielJH wrote: 90 Points
Didn't excite as much as some previous bottles. Might be in a bit of a hole or some bottle variation. Still, a nice wine. Might need some time.
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5/9/2017 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beaucoup de fraîcheur dans ce CS Australien. Cassis, menthe. Pas le pus complexe. Longueur moyenne. Meilleur après 2-3h aération.
RQP ***
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4/21/2017 - Drinking Trees wrote:
Intense notes of plum and blackcurrant, smoky notes of anise and charred oak, hints of eucalyptus and bay leaf. The strong fruit was balanced by heavy tannin and a touch of sharp acid. The structure was excellent, and several tasters said that the wine had great ageing potential.
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3/19/2017 - mark2eye wrote:
We had this with some skirt steak, spring onion, soft-boiled eggs, and broccolini. On the nose it exhibits cool notes, herbs, tobacco box, and river rock. On the palate, it is relatively fruit forward, has a bit of spice, and firm tannins. A decent cab at the price and even better with steak.
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2/13/2017 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still very young. Rich with already smooth tannins. Very balanced. Medium intensity aromas of black berries, spices and vanilla. Will evolve over a very long period, especially with the screwcap. This wine will still be in perfect shape in 15 years.
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1/21/2017 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good, fruit bomb, but love it
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1/2/2017 - Conde Likes this wine: 91 Points
Härligt intensiv näsa med både mörk och röd frukt (vinbär, björnbär, lingon!) ek (ceder) och dessutom tertiära nyanser som tobak och läder. Medelfylligt, men smakrikt, balanserat med mjuka tanniner, bra syra och med en imponerande längd. Jag har två flaskor kvar, och jag gör mig ingen brådska med att korka upp dem, det här vinet kommer bara att bli bättre i åtminstone tio år till.
Till lammfärsbiffar med tomatsås och klyftpotatis.
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12/31/2016 - NiagaraWiner Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine looks violet/purple colored. The legs are slowish. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like dark fruit, black current, blackberry with some cranberry, cedar, oak, lead pencil and eucalyptus. It tastes like blackberry, currant, cedar and tobacco. The body is medium/full. The wine has an oft-coarse texture with fine tannins. The wine finishes medium/long. The wine has medium acidity. Very good, albeit a little closed right now, will open another bottle in a year or two.
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12/29/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent notes, dark red fruit
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12/17/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good, primary red fruit, not quite as blown away as the first bottle I had. Still solid.
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12/4/2016 - cab blends wrote: 92 Points
Classic Coonawarra cab. Acidity is there but not over the top. Some fruitiness and a nice subdued berry on the nose.
Medium body with nice tannins (7/10) which are dry. Finish is average length.
After many, many hours of decanting this was very approachable and in its prime. Give it 6+ hours decanting.
This reinforces my personal view that I love these cabs from Australia but only 5 years or younger. Once they go past that they are not my favorite.
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12/2/2016 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 91 Points
Medium ruby red with deep core. A little dirty on the nose with some cheese and herbs. Finally opened up on day two with baking spices, vanilla, red cherries and light dark cocoa. Moderate tannins (6/10) and quite a bit of acidity, this needs some time to integrate. Medium bodied with some red cherries, and light greenery, a little woody too. Definitely got thicker on day two with an overload of dark cocoa. Medium plus almost long dry finish. Will be very interesting to revisit this bottling in a few years once it has some time to fully integrate. Drink from 2018 till 2026.
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11/27/2016 - DanielJH Likes this wine: 96 Points
On the nose, bay leaf and liquorice with a pinch of ethanol. Excellent acidity strikes you immediately. Ruby red in colour. Red fruits to the fore, raspberry the key player. Blackberry also plays a part, blackcurrant too. Doesn't have the syrupy cassis of some Australian cabernets; rather, it's essentially a dry wine. Cigar box, menthol, bay leaf and aniseed on the palate. Excellent spine of gripping tannin. Beautifully crafted and drinking well now, but it will be better from 2021+
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11/17/2016 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Pure sexy bouquet of tart dark berries, pithy purple plums, açaí, muddled thick petal flowers, peppers, earth, tobacco, and restrained oak imparted spices. Concentrated, gritty, and robust attack, massive middle, gripping back, substantive finish. The wine actually drinks like a 75 to 80 percent Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, with a balance of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec...in that order. Great use of oak and surprisingly low alcohol for such a dense wine allow the fruit and earth to shine, and also impart great balance. The kicker is a crème de cassis-like textural weight similar to fine Saint Julien offerings. A little more complexity on the finish would push this to 94+ point wine. Likely not an extended ager, as it is made in a robust, concentrated, and approachable style that begs to be enjoyed now and over the next five to seven years. Delicious!
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10/22/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Loved it, great QPR. Black fruit, raspberry, fruit bomb with some residual sugar but almost Bordeaux-esque as well. Need more.
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10/9/2016 - vintage_whine wrote:
intenseley ripe and extracetd, decent freshness, with a green candied pyrazine note. not so overipe to be identified by varietal, but perhaps a bit lost in the new world milleu, and lacking a distinctive use of sweet oak. perhaps there are other more clearly coonawara cabs out there, but I'm not sure if the criteron usually used ( mint, eucalyptus) for auusie cab are necessarily what i want anyway
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10/5/2016 - prasm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, black cherry, black berry, dark chocolate, marzipan, and shoe leather. Palate: Medium-full bodied, black cherry attack, nice acidic driven mid-palate lift, black pepper and menthol join in the back-end. Finish: Medium length dominated by spicy dark fruit and tobacco. A great QPR which lacks depth of character but displays great balance,
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9/21/2016 - bobbydazzles wrote: 93 Points
Amazing value. Easy drinking.
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9/12/2016 - Wozza Likes this wine: 95 Points
For those wishing to explore why Aussie's extol the Coonawarra Cab Sauv and are looking for a consistent entry level example, then Wynns Black Label would be a great starting point. And specifically, as would this 2012 and 57th vintage from this iconic Terra Rossa patch of red Aussie dirt. And for those that follow the ratings, Halliday gave this '12 an impressive 96.
Trying this 14 months on, the nose is still deeply scented and the palate rich, balanced and medium-bodied, as intense blackberries, dark cherries, slightly salted black olives, plummed spices and mint flow seamlessly to a fine lingering finish. Still years ahead of it.
Given the price (under $22 a bottle from Wine Market with some discount codes and cash back offer) and its corresponding age worthiness, it gets a Wozza 95/100 (4.2) from me.
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8/3/2016 - Teebs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Took a while to open up once decanted so as for most of the BL's this will live long. Dark fruits on the palate and a decent nose given it was would up pretty tightly. Really enjoyed this one and will put the rest to sleep for a while yet.
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7/23/2016 - Btrr wrote: 88 Points
Big on berries plus tannin.
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6/23/2016 - BrendanMcS wrote: 92 Points
Very good. Big fruity flavor up front. Lots of flavor with berries. Slight tannins. Dry on the finish.
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4/13/2016 - Dom K Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bought a case of this on special. It won't blow you away, but for the price point (AU$30 a bottle), it is an excellent value wine. Still needs some aging as the first day it was quite tight, however by the second day- strawberries and cream, ripe berry fruits, and vanilla toffee had emerged. The cream and toffee are subtle, but they are there- turn off the TV and focus on what you're drinking to find them. A consistent, velvety smooth wine with soft tannins, and it is my solid choice for a mid-week afterwork wind-down with home cooked dinner. I would gladly stock up on this.
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3/21/2016 - vegasoenophile wrote: 85 Points
Black fruits and spice dominate the nose. Both stewed and fresh fruits. A green note is present and I cannot discern if it's still from Oak or an underripe tannin issue. Dark and peppery in the palate. Plum skin, fresh blackberry and black currant with leaves and stems present. Integrated tannins but green. Clove and sweet spice. Perhaps some added bottle time will integrate. Hold.
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3/10/2016 - admid wrote: 91 Points
Initially rather closed with loads of raspberry notes.
Needed 3-4 h before it opened up.
Ap: Dark blackish purple
Ar: fairly complex blackcurrant and plums. Suprisingly modest and integrated oak. Good intensity.
Full bodied and rich with good balance and nice acidity. Good level of tannins, but relatively fine-grained.
Very good length
50+4+13+16+8
lot of wine for the price. One my top QPR's.
Lot of potential here. Try to leave my other bottles for a few years.
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2/23/2016 - Plusvini Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same notes as 5 weeks ago. Wasn't quite a magical tonight but probably because of my high expectations. Round, flavourful and well balanced. Will let the rest of these sit for a year.
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2/19/2016 - prasm wrote: 89 Points
Similar to 12/19/15 note.
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2/5/2016 - Burgnick wrote: 88 Points
Big dark fruit, vanilla, oak and purple fruit on the nose. A new world nose. Palate was simple and easy going. The underlying fruit did not have the ripeness and roundness I like about aussie cab.
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1/7/2016 - Plusvini Likes this wine: 93 Points
Incredible value. Complex and tasty. Big dark fruit and oak with dusty floral notes. While there is a lot of fruit, I'm not sure there is the structure to age long term. Tannins are light. By Day 2, I found the wine to become flabby.
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1/1/2016 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful Cabernet. I would have guessed an excellent Bordeaux. Big black currant combined with subtle oak aromas, quite complex. Extremely balanced, this will age for at least 10-15 years. Excellent length. I have 11 bottles...and I'm thinking about buying more! Wine of 2015 from Vancouver Magazine.
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12/21/2015 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Drank off free list at Capella. Surprisingly decent? Could have passed for decent young Bordeaux, but lacked great finesse and complexity with time in glass. Still, not bad.
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12/19/2015 - prasm wrote: 89 Points
Unscrewed and poured, consumed over 4 hours. Nose: Medium expressiveness, blueberry, plum, saddle leather and hints of tobacco. Palate: Medium-full bodied, sweet blue fruit attack, acidic presence balances out the sweet fruit thru the mid-palate, sweet tobacco flavors appear in the back-end. Finish: Medium length dominated by blue fruit and tobacco.
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12/10/2015 - Mhubbard Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruity but we'll structured. Loads of crunchy dark berries, eucalyptus, and cedar. Tannins are still a bit harsh so give it at least 30 minutes, but there's a nice bright acidity.
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10/21/2015 - Rob_177 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Apperance bright crimson almost opaque
Nose started opening up after about an hour, strong chocolate/ mocha oak making way for the deep blackberry fruit and mulberries some menthol
Palate is more savoury medium body black fruits and cedar.
Medium finish with firm fine tannins
90+
Hold.
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9/18/2015 - JohnSh wrote:
Didn't take notes, but had a couple of glasses of this last night. Pretty closed, but this had more oak on the medium bodied palate than I was expecting. Interesting to read all the notes on CT on this wine - I didn't get any heat at all, and agree that this is a different kind of cab than many CA cab drinkers are used to: much lighter and much lower alcohol. But it certainly tastes like a cab, if a very young, closed down one at the moment. I'll wait another 5 years to try one... B+ right now.
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9/3/2015 - Henman Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted about 2 hours. Quite lifted dark jammy fruit with a cassis aspect and a whiff of cinnamon on the nose. Medium to full bodied, robust, vibrant cassis and blackberries, dusty tannins, some heat coming through on the dusty finish. Well, I was slightly disappointed since it wasn´t as great as the previous CT-notes suggested. With more airtime it felt quite tannic and hot. Not bad by any means, but for now quite juvenile and a bit raw.
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8/30/2015 - Merky_Waters Likes this wine: 90 Points
89-90 at this early stage. paid $20 USD
Definitely fruit focused and new world while highlighting Cabernet's opulence and appeal.
nose of black fruit, currants, wet cement, tar and surprisingly subtle french oak. whiffs of cocoa and espresso but not overdone.
palate is more grand and concentrated with blackfruit preserves, cherry cordial, and all around sticky texture and tannin. The full bodied fruit is ripe and decadent but cabernet's trademark volcanic minerality shows itself alongside the present but balanced oak.
neither the acid or tannin are too jarring but this still feels raw and rough around the edges. i pickup a bit of heat and acrid dill note on the tail end but the massive fruit does a good job of masking this.
needs time, as others have said, but this can be enjoyed now depending on price and expectations. i don't buy the aging projections for this bottle but time will tell. Now-2023
this comes across more Napa than Colchagua
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8/27/2015 - Bouddi26 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very dark in the glass with a bright purple hue on the rim. Rich dark fruit nose. Solid fruit that feels a bit cloudy with a slight stalky character on the finish. A few more years of age may mellow the robust nature of this wine.
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8/17/2015 - BlackMamba Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice wine. Needs more time but not rich enough....
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8/14/2015 - Wine Ratings Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big and bold, but presented with finesse and complexity. This cab exhibits a lot of what you'd expect from Coonawarra: rich dark fruits, licorice, mint/eucalyptus, and spice. With 25% undergoing maturation in new french oak, the wine also expresses some excellent, well integrated oak notes (namely vanilla and toast). The interplay between sweet and savoury is very much on point, as is the structure. Though the tannins and acidity are certainly notable, they don't over-extend themselves; the mouthfeel is still quite smooth. If anything, they're simply telling you that this bottle has years to go (if you can let it last that long)! This is an excellent wine for the price.
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8/14/2015 - bboard wrote:
PnP drank over 2 hours - most likely not enough time. Dense ruby color, med weight, lots of black fruits, hint of smoke & tobacco, mostly sweetness, little tannin, little to no acidity, short finished, unbalanced wine overall. Completely different from tasting 2 months ago. Won't revisit until next year
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8/13/2015 - WineSpat Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby. Blackberry, cedar and some liquorice notes on the nose. Beautifully integrated. Dry, medium plus fine grained tannins, medium plus acidity, medium plus alcohol, medium bodied, long length. Blackcurrant on palate.
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8/7/2015 - df1962 wrote: 88 Points
PnD let air for 2hrs drank over 2 more hours saved 1/3 of the bottle to try tomorrow. Dark dense purple black with magenta rim. Cassi tar oak and cola on the nose. Medium weight with silky tannins. Plum cassis tar rosemary smoke and cola on the palate. Fell apart with air and became hot and flabby. Disappointing as I thought this might be a bargain for a bit of cellaring.
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7/27/2015 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
TWE Portfolio Tasting (Prince Wine Store, Sydney): Mint and cassis with some roses and earth. Has plenty of undergrowth flavour even with the medium bodied fruit. I do like the style and this should age well as per usual with this label.
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7/27/2015 - chatters wrote:
Treasury Wine Estate Premium Wine Expo (Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street): pencil shavings, blackcurrant, graphite, very correct nose…juicy, savoury, blackcurrant, pencil shavings, drying tannins but the fruit persists. Great.
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7/15/2015 - DanCulpitt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Colour is a deep dark red with magenta hue, relatively slow fat legs; nose is quite rich, strong spice, black berries, leaves; bold dark fruits up front on the palate chocolate and tobacco evident as secondary flavours; sweet tannins in perfect balance with the acidity, finish is medium-long. Excellent Cabernet, reflects the great vintage perfectly. Could see myself scoring this even better in 5-10 years.
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6/26/2015 - Rezy13 wrote:
Dark core with reddish violet rim; sweet sugary plum and cherries, tar, brulee, floral, a little green pepper, higher alcohol, sweet raspberry, nice nose; denser mouthfeel, soft fine grained tannin, some alcohol (even though it says 13.5%), dark red fruit, tobacco, plum; not bad.
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6/8/2015 - bboard Likes this wine:
Drank over 36 hours (4 nights) with light snacks each time. Beautiful rich color with plenty of black fruits aromas. IMHO, drank beautifully on day 3 & 4 as the primary fruits fades over time (re-cork only, no air pump or fridge - I was surprised wine last 4 nights with little fading). I think there's hints of vanilla, smoke, a tad herbs with a nice long finish of cocoa, dark chocolate. No hot alcohol, it seems nicely balanced. Just enough oak for my taste. Nice balance wine, and lots of umph to last for years....went back to buy more C$28
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5/11/2015 - Barolo Drunkard Likes this wine: 92 Points
My, at times snobbish, old world biased palate has really been schooled lately... Well, taste changes... Wine is a journey, like life, just have to enjoy the ride..
I just love this wine.
Aromatically explosive: blackcurrant, blueberries, mint, vanilla, sweet tobacco, pine needles and hint of smoke.
Cool and fresh on the palate; fresh blueberry and blackcurrant jam, mint tea, vanilla cream, herbaceousness. Supple and lively, with strong tannins and acidity leading the high pitched and delicious fruit seamlessly to a lifting finish and a long and drying, a bit herbal aftertaste. Oak gives just a nice finishing spice to the mix, nothing more. Alcohol is totally integrated.
Nice elegance, and balance here. What can I say, this Aussie Cab delivers!
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4/9/2015 - JonathanP wrote: 88 Points
Drunk over two days. Plenty of black fruit, which dominates the foreground, accompanied by herbs and oak-derived tones in the background. Also an odd citrus note - like an overripe orange - that's unusual, but interesting. Medium intensity and weight. Acidity is appropriate and tannins quite round and approachable. Doesn't feel too manufactured or overripe, which is nice. Will drink well for 15 years.
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3/30/2015 - forceberry wrote: 85 Points
Aged for 16 months in oak barrels.
Dense, opaque black-reddish color with a youthful blueish hue. A bit closed, yet still very opulent nose with ripe aromas of juicy plums, dark berries, jammy forest fruits, menthol, some Cognac tones of French oak and a hint of crème de cassis. The wine is full-bodied, quite concentrated and rather spicy on the palate with rich, extracted flavors of ripe dark berries, plummy dark fruits, some jammy tones, light mocha character, oaky hints of Cognac and a touch of allspice. The structure is balanced with moderately high acidity and quite ample, firm and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is very rich, powerful and moderately tannic with quite long flavors of ripe dark berries, mocha, some jammy dark fruits, a little bit of bittersweet dark chocolate and a hint of eucalyptus.
A ripe, rich and powerful Cab with a lot of everything, but unfortunately that applies to the ripeness and oak treatment as well. For me the wine just comes across as too jammy and too oaky, rendering this otherwise impressive and structured Cabernet quite dull and boring. Although I could perhaps guess correctly that this is a Cabernet Sauvignon, were the wine served to me blind, it is not very obviously so, because the almost excessive ripeness of the fruit has made the wine come across just vague ripe red wine with very little varietal character, and the heavy-handed oak treatment seems to drown out most of the nuances. Perhaps this wine can turn out more impressive with age and most likely it will please the fans of big, bold Cabernets, but for me it offered quite little. At 19,90€ the wine felt somewhat overpriced for the style.
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3/27/2015 - ephorn wrote: 90 Points
Drunk several days ago. This reminds me of the new new world balanced style with a flavor profile that includes cola. I've tasted similar wines from Italy and California. Enjoyable, but I wonder what causes this wine and others to remind me of cola. I hope it's nothing added.
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9/19/2014 - Drinking Trees wrote:
Nose has very strong fruit but is very closed and tight. A hint of oak in the background smothered by intense blackcurrant and blackberry. The palate matches the nose, with intense black fruit and strong acid and tannin. Seems nice, but it's hard to judge at such a young age.
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9/14/2014 - TiggerK wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyable, certainly some complexity does emerge, has a bright future.
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8/17/2014 - Julian B Likes this wine: 93 Points
I have drunk this over three nights and, while it would benefit from a long decant, it has been undeniably lovely from start to finish. It's now just starting to dry out a little but there is still plenty of plums, raspberry, black currant and mint on the palate with great tannin structure. This has loads of potential and ideally I'd be looking at opening my others from 2018, but it will require a fair bit of will power.
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