2018 Jim Barry Cabernet Sauvignon The Cover Drive

Community Tasting Notes (7) Avg Score: 91 points

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  9/24/2023 - z747gdgh45 Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Really good QPR.
  Ripe blackberry, strawberry, currant, bell pepper, black pepper, vanilla.
  High acidity, medium and smooth tannins. Medium to long finish.

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  3/18/2023 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Same as my last note. A bit green and austere on opening but comes together really nicely in the glass, and feels like a very real cab at the price point. Various dark fruits, black plum, maybe touches of muddled raspberry, with an earthy green backdrop of tobacco and bitter dark chocolate. Good structure too, really worked beautifully with some corned beef. I'm really NOT a big fan of green tones in my Cab Sauv, and I promise they're well-integrated here. I found this bottle a bit greener than the last, but having it with food this time really helped it come alive.

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  3/2/2023 - Ben Christiansen wrote:

  With the evergreen note to the nose. Iron snaguine kinda thing on the nose. really true to form and a little bit tigther on the back.

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  8/4/2022 - Horichdaslicht wrote: 92 Points

  This has consistently been one of my favourite everyday reds. Deep blackish red, blackcurrant, black cherry and a hint of menthol on the nose, full-bodied & firm on the palate, and tannin is prominent but never aggressive. Able to hold it's own with curries, spicy pizzas and all the flavours of a Christmas lunch which subtler, more delicate (and more expensive) wines cannot. I think this vintage could be even better in 3-5 years, but I am unlikely to have the patience to find out. In summary, it does what it does really well.

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  7/11/2022 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Was kind of surprised by this- not that I didn't think I would enjoy it, but that it feels like a surprisingly serious and even complex Cab Sauv for under $20. It's not perfectly balanced nor super expressive, but it's certainly the real deal for the price point.
  
  The gentle but present nose shows that nicely integrated earthy green tone I've found in the (very few) previous wines I've had from Coonawarra. "Nicely integrated" is key here, never getting in the way of the fruit. Difficult to pinpoint exact fruits on nose, but I got a combination of spiced black plum, currants, chocolate raisins, black licorice, even touches of leather and cigar. That tiny green streak is really nice and VERY subtle, and I'm very sensitive to overly green notes (pyrazines.)
  
  Palate is definitely less interesting than the nose, but shows a similar earthy tobacco shade accompanying red and black plum, a touch of sour cherry, slightly brighter fruits, a little warmer and rounder than the cool, earthy nose. Still, I wouldn't call it "hot", and the 14% ABV feels relatively balanced, especially with a super tiny chill on the bottle (I mean 20 mins in the fridge.) Tannins are a little coarse and dusty, but not super aggressive.
  
  This was even better on day 2, and was enjoyable enough on night 1. I wish I'd had it with a burger or something. If you find this for $15 or less it's VERY hard to beat for the grape, more like 94 on my scale- $20 brings a lot of tough competition, but even then it's quite strong. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised considering the quality of their lodge hill Riesling. Time to try their other wines. This was at the same level of QPR as the tasty and barely more expensive Mr. Riggs Coonawarra Cab, which felt a little more austere on the nose but showed an overall similar profile, and which showed slightly more presence/energy on the palate.

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