2012 Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon Clare Valley

Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: 93.2 points

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  11/12/2022 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points

  A monster tasting at Laszlo's: Blind. Redcurrant, briar, graphite and licorice. Palate is medium bodied, with the fruit and acid holding together nicely and with good length. No hurry but also wasn't unapproachable tonight.

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  10/20/2021 - grapenomad wrote: 91 Points

  Decanted this for an hour, not enough, but it was for a restaurant guest. It just started opening up at the 2-hour mark when they were down to the last drop. Deep violet in the glass. Subtle nose at the beginning, but opens up after a while to notes of crunchy blackberries, blueberries, eucalyptus and mint. Powerful on the palate, but still very tight. You can drink it, it's ready, but you can't fully appreciate it. The tannins are still slightly green, the fruit is out of sync with the acidity and alcohol. But this beauty will easily age for 20+ years. You can't doubt that for a second.

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  12/22/2019 - Dr S Likes this wine: 96 Points

  On the heels of the 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Malbec, this too evolved over two nights. Initially medium bodied and brightly lit, night two saw it muscle up with more richness to fill in the structure.
  
  Similar to the 1992 Essoign straight Cabernet, on the first night a nose of red and black currant, tobacco and leather, with aniseed touches. Lively palate, persistent, well-rigged with fine yet chewy tannin, tobacco traces, perhaps more red than black fruit.
  
  Come night two it opened, full-voice Cabernet Deeper, cassis, blueberry, tobacco and a charry hint. An elegant Wendouree palate, more of the same flavours, with leather and liquorice, acid yes but balanced. Beautiful. This is more about Cabernet than the Clare Valley or Wendouree (although the latter capitialises on the possibilities with the variety in the region).
  
  This was the vintage that prompted me to rethink - and restart buying - Wendouree Cabernet. Happy with that decision.

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  7/1/2018 - DanielJH Likes this wine: 94 Points

  The bottom line with this wine is that if you don’t like Clare Valley gum leaf characters, you won’t like this. An inviting nose of gumleaf, liquorice and red fruit. The palate has much the same with sweet and savoury blackberries, raspberry, liquorice and plenty of gum leaf. Cedar, tobacco and some hints of nougat. Highly pitched acid profile, silky texture and ferrous, drying tannins. It’s drinking very well now and will likely go many years in the cellar. But when the gum leaf profile is as prominent as this, I find some Wendourees can be overwhelmed by it in the long term, so I’ll drink my final bottle in the next couple of years.

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  8/21/2014 - JonathanP wrote: 93 Points

  Took a gamble opening this now - but the gamble paid off. Decanted for 2 hours. 13.3% alc, screw cap. My first 2012 from the Wendouree stable. It presents as a vivid, darkish purple in the glass. Bright red and black fruits are balanced by savoury notes of mint, dusty earth, eucalyptus, and aniseed. Not surprisingly, this is more fleshy than I recall the 2011 being at the same time last year, but the wine retains a lovely elegance, purity and focus. Acids are bright and and while there isn't a shortage of dusty tannins, they are are well integrated and are not drying on the finish. Excellent concentration without over extraction: it is medium-to-full bodied. Don't be afraid to sneak a look at one of these now, but the real fireworks will be in 20 years. Outstanding.

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