Nice elegant claret style Margaret river red. Nothing extracted, quite light on its feet with lifted olive and pencil shavings around a nicely mixed red/black fruit nose. Mid weight palate with very fine tannins, nice balance but is quite linear and not that complex. Not bad length on the palate. Not convinced this will get any better with age, though I am sure it will stay on this plateau for at least another 5 years.
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Perhaps not fair to score this as seemed borderline faulty. A little thin with a tinge of vinegar acid. Still some medium weight fruit (black currant) but a distracted experience. Somewhat faded or tired at the edges. Couldn’t quite work out whether something was wrong with the wine (me?) or it just wasn’t good.
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This Western Australian wine from the Margaret River wine region was deliberately made to emulate Bordeaux red wine. The pencil shavings remind me of Pauillac and its introspective masculinity Latour. The ruby garnet appearance is consistent with its 12 years.The nose is open at 1/2 hour after opening but best at 1 1/2 hours. Olives,blackberry,blackcurrant,cherries,lemon grass,floral and earth are some of the aromas and flavours. No aged characters.Moderate amounts of firm tannin, the acid is a bit intrusive but otherwise well balanced. It has a thick/thin viscosity and a lovely mouth feel. Length is good. My estimation of drinking window is 2023 to 2038. Riedel Bordeaux glasses at 15C.
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Great nose of Cedar juicy berries and graphite pencil. Smooth fine tannins combine with great fruit just mellowing. Tasty and enjoyable with time left to run. Very nice wine
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Ruby hue. Dominated by pencil shavings, raspberry, cassis and coffee. After 45 minutes the nose opens and is intense and strong. The palate also reveals some hints of earth,lemon-grass and roses. Lots of tannin and acid creating a firm structure. No significant aged flavours yet. Drunk at 16 degrees C. Riedel Bordeaux glasses.
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Nice to have something decent after a few days of mediocre stuff. Still a big cassis and graphite nose. Medium/full bodied, with lingering savoury finish 11% Malbec giving a nice twist.
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This is better on the second night. Medium bodied with great fruit, acidity and balance. Good grip. This is a wine that will reward further cellaring. No rush!
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Certainly very attractive but seems to lack depth, also missing the interesting herbal characters of prior vintages. Sweet straight forward tomato leaf flavours (young vine merlot?).
For enjoying now, though it will presumably last a decade or more.
13.5% ABV, sealed with screw cap.
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Lead pencil blackcurrant black cherries plums black olives hint of mint cafe au lait fruit cake cigar box liver pate. Still young. Decantered for 1 hour. Serving temperature 16 degrees. Riedel bordeaux glasses.
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This wine appeared mauve on its edge with a ruby body and semi opaque. The core of this wine was an elegant but masculine integrated lead pencil and blackcurrant that is reminiscent of Pauillac but half a world away. It was the intention of the wine makers when they started the vineyard in Margaret River in the seventies to make bordeaux style wine and they have succeeded. Other elements were smoke pepper cafe au lait black cherries and plums black olives floral notes liver pate herbs chocolate. There is also lemon grass which I find unique in these wines. The palate had an old world elegance with good length and well balanced. The wine was poured into a decanter and was at its best at 60 minutes still good at 75 minutes but started to simplify with a butterscotch character at 90 minutes. Drunk at 16 degrees C from Riedel bordeaux glasses.
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This wine was in the decanter for 1 hour prior to tasting. The nose was best at 75 minutes and became more subdued at 90 minutes. On pouring into the glass the temperature was 15 degrees. Some mauve was noted. The nose offered up scents pencil shavings,jammy blackcurrant, tomato vine cigar box and cafe au lait. Elegant. Medium to full bodied. Slightly too bitter on the palate.
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This wine tastes like a Pauillac but its from Margaret River, Australia! There is still a little mauve on the edge. The nose gives up scents of blackcurrant smoke graphite and pencil shavings. In the background are herbs and tomato vine. The palate is full bodied and has a soft mouth feel. It is slightly unbalanced. A little sour and bitter. It was closed on opening but after 1 hour in the decanter it opened out. Drunk at 16 degrees on pouring into the glass.
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GT Wine Top Tasting WA Cabernets (Sydney): Nose: Eucalyptus and jammy black fruit, sweet spice, white pepper over slight mint. Mouth: Medium plus tannin, slightly bitter/dry black fruit.
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Wow, big super MR nose straight out of the bottle. Lush and intense (even notes of choc though MR). Quite fine grained tannin. Good balance and acid. Powerful with only 13.5%. Amazing value.
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Sone blackcurrant and a little tobacco. Palate is a lovely balance of fruit with a wonderful follow through of fine tannins and acidity. Good long finish tops it off.
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23/4/2011 The second bottle had within a few days Source from the winery a few days ago Decanter for 15 minutes only Drunk at 18 degrees C Screwtop Mauve edge ruby body Impressive nose Confectionary blackberry and blackcurrant jam Cigar box Lemograss coffee Pencil shavings FB Unintergrated palate Elegant and balanced
Bordeaux-Pauillac style wine Equivalent of 2nd growth quality Young and unintergrated
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Wine sourced directly from winery Screwtop Duck Decanter Drunk at 18 degrees C
Appearance Ruby with mauve edge Semi opaque Nose Confectionery, pencil shavings, coffee in that order No aged aromas Palate Elegant and balanced High acid and tannin Blackcurrant café au lait pencil shavings Impression Very young wine enjoyable to drink now but with full of promise.
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5/1/2024 - EdLark Likes this wine: 95 Points
Yum!! Fruit flavours of plum and berries combine with cedar, forest floor and a hint of spice. Tannins are soft and balance out the fruit beautifully.
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9/22/2023 - Indran Rajendra Likes this wine: 95 Points
Plump dark cherries. Blackcurrant, blueberries,blackberries, milk coffee, lemon grass,olives rose petals earth and iodine,mushroom. Soft and integrated. Pauillac like. Drink now. NS
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6/19/2023 - brodien wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine at 15 years of age.
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12/30/2020 - Pverd wrote: 90 Points
Nice elegant claret style Margaret river red. Nothing extracted, quite light on its feet with lifted olive and pencil shavings around a nicely mixed red/black fruit nose. Mid weight palate with very fine tannins, nice balance but is quite linear and not that complex. Not bad length on the palate. Not convinced this will get any better with age, though I am sure it will stay on this plateau for at least another 5 years.
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9/20/2020 - nwebstar Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Perhaps not fair to score this as seemed borderline faulty. A little thin with a tinge of vinegar acid. Still some medium weight fruit (black currant) but a distracted experience. Somewhat faded or tired at the edges. Couldn’t quite work out whether something was wrong with the wine (me?) or it just wasn’t good.
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8/1/2020 - Indran Rajendra wrote: 93 Points
This Western Australian wine from the Margaret River wine region was deliberately made to emulate Bordeaux red wine. The pencil shavings remind me of Pauillac and its introspective masculinity Latour. The ruby garnet appearance is consistent with its 12 years.The nose is open at 1/2 hour after opening but best at 1 1/2 hours. Olives,blackberry,blackcurrant,cherries,lemon grass,floral and earth are some of the aromas and flavours. No aged characters.Moderate amounts of firm tannin, the acid is a bit intrusive but otherwise well balanced. It has a thick/thin viscosity and a lovely mouth feel. Length is good. My estimation of drinking window is 2023 to 2038. Riedel Bordeaux glasses at 15C.
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6/24/2018 - wineian wrote: 93 Points
Great nose of Cedar juicy berries and graphite pencil. Smooth fine tannins combine with great fruit just mellowing. Tasty and enjoyable with time left to run. Very nice wine
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12/25/2017 - Indran Rajendra wrote: 96 Points
Ruby hue. Dominated by pencil shavings, raspberry, cassis and coffee. After 45 minutes the nose opens and is intense and strong. The palate also reveals some hints of earth,lemon-grass and roses. Lots of tannin and acid creating a firm structure. No significant aged flavours yet. Drunk at 16 degrees C. Riedel Bordeaux glasses.
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11/17/2016 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice to have something decent after a few days of mediocre stuff. Still a big cassis and graphite nose. Medium/full bodied, with lingering savoury finish 11% Malbec giving a nice twist.
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12/20/2015 - Mic Mac Likes this wine:
This is better on the second night. Medium bodied with great fruit, acidity and balance. Good grip. This is a wine that will reward further cellaring. No rush!
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10/5/2015 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 89 Points
Certainly very attractive but seems to lack depth, also missing the interesting herbal characters of prior vintages. Sweet straight forward tomato leaf flavours (young vine merlot?).
For enjoying now, though it will presumably last a decade or more.
13.5% ABV, sealed with screw cap.
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8/10/2014 - Indran Rajendra Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lead pencil blackcurrant black cherries plums black olives hint of mint cafe au lait fruit cake cigar box liver pate. Still young. Decantered for 1 hour. Serving temperature 16 degrees. Riedel bordeaux glasses.
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4/25/2014 - Indran Rajendra Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine appeared mauve on its edge with a ruby body and semi opaque. The core of this wine was an elegant but masculine integrated lead pencil and blackcurrant that is reminiscent of Pauillac but half a world away. It was the intention of the wine makers when they started the vineyard in Margaret River in the seventies to make bordeaux style wine and they have succeeded. Other elements were smoke pepper cafe au lait black cherries and plums black olives floral notes liver pate herbs chocolate. There is also lemon grass which I find unique in these wines. The palate had an old world elegance with good length and well balanced. The wine was poured into a decanter and was at its best at 60 minutes still good at 75 minutes but started to simplify with a butterscotch character at 90 minutes. Drunk at 16 degrees C from Riedel bordeaux glasses.
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12/3/2013 - Indran Rajendra Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine was in the decanter for 1 hour prior to tasting. The nose was best at 75 minutes and became more subdued at 90 minutes. On pouring into the glass the temperature was 15 degrees. Some mauve was noted. The nose offered up scents pencil shavings,jammy blackcurrant, tomato vine cigar box and cafe au lait. Elegant. Medium to full bodied. Slightly too bitter on the palate.
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11/26/2013 - weiny Likes this wine: 89 Points
Gut, aber nicht ganz so meine Ecke. Viel Cabernet
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11/22/2013 - Indran Rajendra Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine tastes like a Pauillac but its from Margaret River, Australia! There is still a little mauve on the edge. The nose gives up scents of blackcurrant smoke graphite and pencil shavings. In the background are herbs and tomato vine. The palate is full bodied and has a soft mouth feel. It is slightly unbalanced. A little sour and bitter. It was closed on opening but after 1 hour in the decanter it opened out. Drunk at 16 degrees on pouring into the glass.
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12/25/2011 - Indran Rajendra wrote: 96 Points
Still some mauve on the edge elegant and full some bouquet. Raspberries medium bodied. Like a Bordeaux. Seems to be improving with age.
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7/9/2011 - Indran Rajendra wrote: 94 Points
Bought from winery
scewtop
Decanter best between 1/2 - 1 hour when finished
Drunk at 18 degees
Riedel bordeaux glass
Appearance
Mauve edge
Nose
Confectionery raspberry blackcurrant blackberry cafe au lait nutmeg cigarbox earth dried herbs pencil shavings mint lemongrass
Polished elegant
Palate
elegant
Flavours follow the nose
Conclusion
Young and elegant with promise ( last 2 tastings this year 95 and 95)
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6/15/2011 - chatters wrote:
GT Wine Top Tasting WA Cabernets (Sydney): Nose: Eucalyptus and jammy black fruit, sweet spice, white pepper over slight mint.
Mouth: Medium plus tannin, slightly bitter/dry black fruit.
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5/20/2011 - G.M. wrote: 94 Points
Wow, big super MR nose straight out of the bottle. Lush and intense (even notes of choc though MR). Quite fine grained tannin. Good balance and acid. Powerful with only 13.5%. Amazing value.
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4/29/2011 - Wrighty wrote: 92 Points
Sone blackcurrant and a little tobacco. Palate is a lovely balance of fruit with a wonderful follow through of fine tannins and acidity. Good long finish tops it off.
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4/23/2011 - Indran Rajendra wrote: 95 Points
23/4/2011
The second bottle had within a few days
Source from the winery a few days ago
Decanter for 15 minutes only
Drunk at 18 degrees C
Screwtop
Mauve edge ruby body
Impressive nose
Confectionary blackberry and blackcurrant jam Cigar box Lemograss coffee Pencil shavings
FB
Unintergrated palate
Elegant and balanced
Bordeaux-Pauillac style wine
Equivalent of 2nd growth quality
Young and unintergrated
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4/21/2011 - Indran Rajendra wrote: 95 Points
Details
Alcohol 13.5%
Composition:
70% cabernet 19% merlot 11% malbec
18 months in French oak
Wine sourced directly from winery
Screwtop
Duck Decanter
Drunk at 18 degrees C
Appearance
Ruby with mauve edge Semi opaque
Nose
Confectionery, pencil shavings, coffee in that order
No aged aromas
Palate
Elegant and balanced
High acid and tannin
Blackcurrant café au lait pencil shavings
Impression
Very young wine enjoyable to drink now but with full of promise.
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