Hoggies Estate Riesling 2012

Rizza is Australia is pretty easy to make as we pick early and press straight to tank. The next generation of Riesling makers are experimenting with oak and skin contact but mostly it is straight from vine to bottle.

It must be pretty hard if you make Riesling, as the top of the pops versions are in their mid 20s to early 30s in price.

Hoggies Estate Riesling 2012

Floral                             tick
Minerals                         tick
Lemon or citrus              tick
Good entry                      tick
Typical flavour profile    tick
Mid-palate                       no tick
Value                              ok


Alcohol: 12.5%
Price:  $13
Rated: 83
Drink: Now - 2018

Hoggies Estate Chardonnay 2012

I've never heard of Hoggies before but I've had a few chardonnays from Coonawarra so I thought I would be in for an enjoyable ride. Gavin Hogg is the owner/winemaker and he has two vineyards, one in Coonawarra and the other larger holding is in the Murray Darling,


Hoggies Estate Chardonnay 2012

The nose is a little oakish but underneath there was an elegant flavour profile. Once on the palate the wine looked more flavour laden, with crushed quartz, lemon curd and peaches and cream. The flavours are only medium bodied with a hint of phenolic grip on the middle palate providing an interest. I liked this a lot especially when I found out the price.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $13
Rated: 86
Drink: Now - 2017

Two Cabernets for Christmas

Two 2011 Cabernet wines from two different area but they have a commonality. Greenness! One of them manages to bring in some lovely other flavours as well which makes up for it.

 

Hillcrest Vineyard Village Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

 

This wine is like a shopping list that is based on colour. Green herbs and capsicum are evident to begin with but they are joined by mulberries and blackcurrants. Even though it is light bodied the flavours work well and the mild tannins add a bit of textural elements. The palate is a bit narrow and the flavour are a little too open for the age but for a village style drink now wine it works well.

 

Alcohol: 12.8%

Price: $25

Rated: 85

Drink: Now – 2018

 

 

Jim Barry Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

 

What a great entry to this wine with full bodied flavour of mint, currants, pipe tobacco and spicy herbs.  These flavour attack the front palate like a viking on a war path but once he is finished he falls a sleep in a heap. If you want a translation it means that they do not transfer up the palate line. This wine had me perplexed as I wanted to like it more but I just couldn’t in terms of the quality. What I did like was the profile of the wine. Oh well you win some and you lose some.

 

Alcohol: 14%

Price: $17

Rated: 83

Drink: Now – 2016

 

Majella Minuet NV Disgorged 2012

It is a perfect time to crack open some Australian bubbles as the weather has started to warm up. My wife has a routine that every Saturday after she has finished tennis the team cracks open a couple bottles before everyone heads out to dinner. I like the idea that bubbles is the catalyst for an enjoyable evening. It is a celebrational experience when a bottle of bubbles is opened. Get on board this summer.

Majella Minuet NV disgorged 2012

 

There are all those lovely roasted nutty flavours that you expect from nice bubble and they are matched by dried grapefruit and apple quarters. I used to have these in my lunch box when I was at school and it is lovely to see them poking their head out of this wine. The length and balance is beautiful and the palate is a little cream on the initial attack before waves of acidity kick in.

 

Alcohol: 11%
Price: $30
Rated: 88

Drink: Now

 

Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch & Michael 2010 plus more

I used to collect a lot of Wynns but I fell off the wagon when the 2001 release came out. The last few vintages have really got me excited, especially the 2010 vintage.

Coonawarra is a cooler climate with unique terra rossa soils which hlep produce full bodied cabernet that cellar well. Many of the better Shiraz wines come from soils that have a percentage of sand in them.

I tasted through these wine with Sarah Pigeon and she openly talked about the problems of the 2011 vintage, how Wynns were changing what they did in the vineyard and the future direction that they are going in. 

Wynns Coonawarra Estate White Label Shiraz 2012

Light to medium bodied but there is an intensity of flavour that works so well. The elegant flavours of plum, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg flow so well it reminds me of high class booze in the 25 - 30 buck range. The palate is plump and bouncy which all finishes with a zip of acidity. Brilliant and one of the best in a long time!

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: Street price $14.50
Rated: 87
Drink: Now - 2022

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz 2010

Bloody hell this is a broody wine with plenty of silky texture and voom voom acidity. The palate is engaging with the fruit taking centre stage even though the wine spent 14 month in new and used French oak. There is great intensity of a mainly dark fruited palate spectrum. What seperates this from the white or black label is the length and vibrancy. Buy now but drink in 12 years.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $100
Rated: 94
Drink: 2023 +

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Normally there are 20 blocks that make their way into the black label but this year only 2 blocks made the cut. This wine is set to go to the trade only as there is only a small amount produced. From the get go this screamed Cabernet in a leafy blackcurranty sort of way. On the palate the same thing came forward but the palate was a bit broad. The palate weight is higher than normal due to the extended hang time that the grape recieved but there is still a nice amount of acidity. The acidity just doesn't pull everything back together so I would recommend a shorter drinking window.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: Street price $25
Rated: 86
Drink: Now - 2019

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Messenger Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

This is a single vineyard wine made from grapes that were grown on the most southerly vineyard that Wynns takes grapes from. It is a pretty little being with lovely mulberry and sage notes that sit on a firmly structures and vibrant palate. The tannins fill the mouth but don't over power the beautiful flavours. The weight of the wine is more medium bodied, especially when you compare it to the black label, with a hint of chocolate powder and dried twigs thrown in. One for the cellar.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $70
Rated: 93
Drink: After 2017+

Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Only 3 vineyards made it into the Riddoch that is biult with muscule in mind. Even though the palate is tight and controlled the rock and roll flavours come through in the form of essence of blackcurrant, sarsaparilla, smoked brambles and spice. The polished palated is full of massive tannins that meld into every aspect of my tongue. All I can say that this is a bold Cabernet with style that is built to be drunk after 15 years.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: Strett price $110
Rated: 95+
Drink: After 2025

Wines that go with a flood

It has been bucketing down in the Adelaide Hills over the last few days and the wind has been amazing. This has meant that the back part of my house has flooded. The house has been around for a while and just can't cope with a massive down pour. What this has meant is I want to sit by the fire and forget that I will have to clean it up when the weather changes. I feel in need for a wine that warms my bones and soothes my head. The wines below fit that mold.

Panorama Vineyard Chardonnay 2010

A lovely rich style of Chardonnay with beautiful acidity on the tail end. This wine has been crafted by the husband and wife team of Michael and Sharon Vishacki from grapes grown in Cradoc. The flavours of lime crystals, king island cream, grapefruits and spice is chiseled through the wine. The flavours are full bodied and comforting in nature which is just perfect.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $35
Rated: 89
Drink: Now or later

Torbreck Woodcutter Shiraz 2012

Masses of yummy ripe and soft characters come form this wine in a intersting and comforting style. The ripeness comes across in the form of blueberry sauce, chocolate marshmellows, blackforest cake and tar. The wine is lovely and creamy in the mouth with nice acidity to finish it off. The palate is definaely in the rich and round end of the spectrum but that works well during this sort of weather.


Alcohol: 15%
Price: $25
Rated: 86
Drink: Now - 2017

Elderton Estate Shiraz 2010

In the beginning there was toasty oak but it soon fades and melds into the background. Once the wine starts to come out of its shell, it shows lovely traditional Barossa flavours with a creamy mouthfeel a rocking tannins. While it is soft and cuddly in nature the acidity at brimming dry tannins makes this more top end than many of the wines under this label. One for the cellar and will look stunning with 5 to 7 under its skin.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $26
Rated: 88
Drink: In 5 to 10 years

Majella The Malleea 2009

What a brilliant rendition of an old school Australian blend of Cabernet and Shiraz. I love how one of the best Coonawarra makers has used a blend as their flagship. The Cabernet is leading the show with ripe blackcurrant and spice before the Shiraz kicks in in the form of plum, dried herbs and boiled Christmas cake. The transition of flavours is beautiful but thy are a little to tight at the moment for full enjoyment. This is one for a nice roast lamb with Tom Cruise.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $80
Rated: 92
Drink: In 5 years

 Head Wines Head Red Shiraz 2012

Vibrant and fresh with Barossa goodness or richness but without heavy flavours. Yum and easy to go back to. The wine is all about acidity, mouthfeel and intese flavours that transition well with a more restrained edge. It isn't funky or wierd but refined and layered with flavours of dark pastilles, dried earth, blackberries , Turkish spices and coco powder. Really I would care what the flavours are becuase the mouthfeel is beatiful and bright with a chalkiness running under the flavours. If you haven't tried one of Alex Head's wines it is time to get on board.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $21 - $25
Rated: Bargain for the price! 89
Drink: In 6 years

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

I used to buy a lot of Wynns but I went off this label from about the 2001 but I came back from the 2009 version. This vintage is one of the best I have tried in a while. I would say almost equal with the lovely 1996 vintage.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Classic Coonawarra flavours, style and structure with notes of olives, brambles, fresh herbs, mulberries and spice. These medium bodied flavours are only secondary to the force of tannin that lurks below. They are bouncy and inviting with a lasting dryness that pulls the flavours along. In the end a wedge of acidity finishes the wine off. As it took five days for this it start showing its best I would cellar for a long time. If you open it early the wine isn't as comforting or as enjoyable.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: RRP $40 or street price $25
Rated: 93
Drink: 2020 - 2045

 

Majella Riesling 2012

Name the first grape variety that comes to mind when I say Coonawarra? Name the second? Now by the time you get to the top five you still haven't go to Riesling. Is this good or bad for Majella or the wine drinkers of Australia? I think it is great as the quality of this wine is around the quality of the Clare or Eden wines but the price is much lower. If this was available along with a chardonnay from the same region I would now turn my chair towards this little number.

Majella Riesling 2012

There are those atractive varietal notes in the form of lemon balm, flint, and spring flowers before a hint of gun metal hammers home which seems to spank up the back palate. The palate is alive and kicking which would make me turn to Asian style meals for a partner in the dinning room. I wasn't expecting something of this quality from this region, at this price point, but that could also be a result of the brilliant 2012 vintage.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $17
Rated: 89
Drink: Now - 2020

Icons and Emerging Icons

When people think of the Icon wineries from Australia Penfolds, Henschke and Wynns of Coonawarra are three that would come to mind. They produce wines that have the ability to age for prolonged periods and generally look better with ten years under their belt. I've tasted my way through a lot of their wines and listed below are three monumental wines. The Penfolds wine is the best Cabernet I have tried in Australia, the Henschke just beautiful, wild and not far behind the Bin 169 and the Wynns Black label Shiraz which is a fine wine to accompany their Cabernet. Below these three are two wines from wineries that I believe will join the top ranks in the years to come. They are already producing classic and spectacular wines but they have only been producing these in the last 5 to 10 years.  

Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 

This years Grange was written up as being one of the best ever but I rated this just that bit higher in terms of quality. It is classic styled with structure to burn. The aromas are captivating as they come across as chiselled yet expressive with notes of leafy black currants, olive pulp and wild herbs from a French veggie garden. These flavours are only a drop in the ocean when you compare them to what arises on the palate but they are equally enchanting. The fruit takes centre stage but there is a hint of cedar in the background and then the structure takes hold. There is a line of bright acidity running from the front palate to my tonsils which mean that the length of phenomenal. For a young wine this is the best Australian Cabernet that I have tried. As this is from the birth year of my daughter I will be buying as many as I can afford.  

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: $350 

Rated: 97+ 

Drink: After 2035 

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Shiraz 2010 

This is a new addition to the Wynns label and it has come about after they have invested a significant amount of time reinvigorating their vineyards. This cool climate shiraz has plenty of soft blackberry notes with spice and red-fruits adding complexity and interest. The long palate is accentuated by the medium bodied palate weight and wild components of animal hide and a creamy mouthfeel. Even though I don't think this is a long term wine like I do like the sense of it at the moment. 

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: Good value at $30 

Rated: 91 

Drink: Now - 2020 

Henschke Mount Edelstone 2009 

This wine was pick from a vineyard that is 97 years old which makes this something to hold in reverence. Out of all the 2009 wines from the Barossa this one comes across the most wild and reserved with notes of savoury blackberries rolled in chocolate and Asian spices. The flavours are as smooth as silk and linger on my palate for what seems like hours but it is the balance between tannin structure and brightness that is most enchanting. There is depth of flavour and food friendliness that finishes off the package of this world class wine.  

Alcohol: 14.5% 

Price: $118 

Rated: 95 

Drink: 2024 – 2040 

Paradise IV Darel Shiraz 2011 

Exotic and reserved with a bewildering array of flavours bombarding the senses, yet I must say forget about the flavours as it is the beautiful balance of sweet and chalky tannins mixed with insane acidity that is most enchanting. They take hold of my mouth and drive the flavours forward like a winged goddess taking off to save the world. At the moment the wine is too shy but after it was open for 5 days it really started to open up so I would be calm and just let it sit in the cellar. 

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: $45 

Rated: 93 

Drink: 2018 - 2029 

Sutton Grange Estate Rose 2010 

These guys under Gilles Lapalus have been producing some of the most interesting and highest quality wines in Australia. This wine is the best rose that I have ever tasted from Australia as it combines dry and savoury characters of raspberries with exotic flavours of Asian spices and roasted nuts. The force of the wine is beautiful with the length just phenomenal. I would love to say that it only got better as it sat open but I finished the bottle too quick to make that call, which I guess it a good thing when you think about it. 

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: $40 

Rated: 93 

Drink: Now or over the next few years

 

Penfolds Icon & Luxury Release 2013

Penfolds Icon & Luxury Release 2013

Peter Gago has been chipping away at transforming the quality and style of the Penfolds wines since he took reigns a litttle while ago. They now have a slick elegance yet modern style feel about them while still retaining the some of the traditions of old. This release is particulary strong as many of the wines come from the 2010 vintage.

Penfolds Yattarna 2010

Elegant with a pristine nose of lemon butter mixed with grapefruits and a hint of nectarines. The palate is full bodied with the oak intergration already being remarkable. The focus of the wine is driven by a wedge of acidity with the oak contributing to the mouthfeel rather than the flavour profile. This wine continues the journey that Yattarna has been going through and in my view is the best they have done.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $130
Rated: 94
Drink: 2017 - 2027

 

Penfolds St Henri 2009

This label holds a special place in my heart as it is the first top class wine my wife and I enjoyed together. This years version brings those feeling of butterflies, and the prospect of love back into my heart. The wine is elegant with notes of brambles, mulberries showing off to the spice and fresh licorice. While this is easy to drink right now the intense structure that lurks underneath is telling me to hold off for a bit. The palate length is brilliantly long and the acidity perks up the feel of the wine from the start right to the end of the finish. 

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: Street price $75

Rated: 94

Drink: Now - 2030

Penfolds Magill Shiraz 2010

Yehaaa lets grab a pair of cowboy boots and a bar wench and away we go. The palate is rustic and smokey with savoury notes of cassis, spice, vanilla cream and plums.  This wine tips its hat at the days of old with its flavour profile but it still retains those modern moments of drinkability and old school grooviness. The mid-palate is a little sweet but that might come from the American oak which should melt away after a slumber in the cellar. There is a little alcohol heat on the back palate but it doesn't distract me from the overall experience.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $130
Rated: 93
Drink: 2016 - 2025

Penfolds RWT Shiraz 2010

The RWT is a sub-regional wine that is more in the blue end of the spectrum for flavour than the brute force of Grange. This years version is no different with flavours of creme de cassis, blueberries and plum pudding. The wood is a little more prominant than the other wines but the flavours are still bright and a delight to taste. Intense are the tannins and they finish with sweetness which works well with the long palate length and fantastic depth of flavours.

Alcohol: 93+
Price: $140
Rated: 93
Drink: 2016 - 2030

 

Penfolds Bin 707 2010

Momma this is a chewy Cabernet with massess of intense flavours. Part of this wine comes from the prestigous Block 42 and it shows in the quality of this wine. The oak has great intergration at this stage with the structure being both intense and a joyess to drink. The brute force flavours of creme de cassis, mulberries bushes that have been picked dry and the workers are now forklifting the contents into their mouths and moments of dried flowers balance beautifully as there is light in amongst the darkness. As Penfolds release a Bin 169 at the same price, same variety, same vintage but a single vineyard wine it is normal that people will compare them. The 707 doesn't possess the same level of structure or drive of the Bin 169 even though there is a mass of tannin and acidity to be had. This wine is more a warm climate Cabernet of tremendous quality, rather than the cooler climate Bin 169.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: Street price $250

Rated: 95

Drink: 2030 +

 

Penfolds Grange 2008

When I think Grange I think power of fruit in a more savoury style than the fruit bomb that became so passe a few years ago. This has power but it is polished and restrained at the same time. The structure is interwoven with the flavour profile and layers of delighful surprises. Forget about the flavours themselves as Grange seems to possess a similar profile each year but it is the vitality and vibrancy of the 2008 version that is remarkable.

Aclohol: 14.5%

Price: Street Price: $650

Rated: 97

Drink: 2025 - 2045

Penfolds 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Penfolds 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

2009 Cabernet's from the Barossa are so drinkable! Well this isn't totally from the Barossa but a large component comes from the area. This wine has an inherent forcefulness about it with plush flavours and a savoury element sitting in underneath. The normally full on American oak is hiding behind the flavours and the structure manages to settle in nicely which provide a nice counter point to the extrovert nature of the flavours.  While everything is balanced, I really dig the flavours of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, mint, spice, chocolate and stinging nettle as they are easy to understand and in your face.  When I say in your face, these flavours aren't trying to be aggressive but they do make themselves known. Now to the length. Long, long and long like the Amazon as it take you on a journey with events that you wish you could have photographed. One wine for now or later.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $200 street price
Rated: 94
Drink: Now - 2030

Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

This is the second release of the Bin 169, the first being in 1973, and is 100% Coonawarra in origin. This wine is very different to the 707 as it is 100% French oak and from a single.  It is brilliant to see a Cabernet of this quality in French oak as I think the match between variety and vessel is better suited. While the Bin 169 doesn't drink as well as the 707 at this stage,  the quality and structure of this wine will benefit from extended cellaring. On a separate note this years luxury release from Penfolds is very strong with all wines being of high to extreme on the quality scale.

Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Oh so elegant and structured! The tannins are like liquid gold as they expand and conquer my mouth.  The easy flow of heavy yet light and rustic tannins is so beautiful I don't really care about the flavours and there are so many flavours it is scary.  Blackcurrant, plum skin, spice, cedar, sage, etc... it is too much to take that they have crammed so much into one bottle. Like all good Cabernet this will need a decade or two for it to open out and show some loving but when it does sit back and relax.   The finish of this wine is specular as it goes on forever, in fact the wine took so long to finish because the flavours and texture stayed so long in my mouth I didn't need to go back for another sip.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $250
Rated: 95++
Drink: 2023 - 2050

Penfolds Grange 2007

Penfolds Grange has done more for the Australian wine market on an International stage than any other wine in Australia so it needs to be given the respect it deserves. What I have found from tasting Grange is that I generally think they hit their drinking window around the 15 year mark.  The Penfolds style involves ripe friut with plenty of structure and oak thrown in.  Does the 2007 continue that theme? Yes but without the full on structure.

Penfolds Grange 2007

This is a ripe and robust wine with flavours of smoked licorice and blackberry intertwined with chocolate and roasted figs.  The feel of the wine is exotic in my mouth with the flavours verging on the extra ripe.  The oak definitely plays a roll as it dances with the balling flavours but it seems to have less of an impact this year  which might be due to the ripeness of the fruit.  When the wine enters my mouth it is forceful but in a polite way which is let down by mid-palate to the end.  Does that mean that Grange is not good? No it is a very forward version of Grange of high quality but not extreme quality. I would almost go to say that this is ready to consume now but I won't.  The tannin structure works well with the flavours which grip their way along to the mid-palate before they depart the party.  The quality is good I guess it is just a question of the cash.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $480 street price
Rated: 91
Drink: 2014 - 2034

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Centenary 1991

Wynns Coonawarra Estate has access to some of the best vineyards in the area so when they release a special blend you should be in for a lovely surprise.  Rumours are that this wine is a blend of 2/3rd Michael and 1/3 John Riddoch but that is where it gets messy as the stated alcohol is 12.5% for this wine and 13.5% for the 2 flagships wines from the same year.  How can this be that there is a difference? Well, I can see that different parcels can come in at different baumes. Just a few weeks ago I picked two batches of Sagrantino on the same day and the beautiful batch came in at 14.2 baume while the not so beautiful batch came in at 15 baume.  For this reason I am of the opinion that this wine is the best parcels from the Michael and John Riddoch wines blended together.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Centenary 1991

This is the best Australian wine I have ever had! One of the most interesting things about this wine is that it tastes like it is Cabernet dominant as I get pipe tobacco, cow hide, gunpowder, savoury blackcurrant leaf rolled in brambles, orange rind and spicy mint. The flavours are mesmerising as they linger like they are frozen in time or suspended in animation.  Each little element dances to the beat of its own drum but adds to the whole experience. Next comes the structure... it is silky and seductive yet apparent and appealing. In fact the whole wine experience is beautiful to behold.  Think of the first moment you spent with your partner watching the sun come up with a glass of bubbles in your hand and a blanket wrapped around you bringing you both closer together and that is what this wine makes me feel like.  Pure joy!

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: Who cares
Rated: 97
Drink: Now but will continue to age gracefully for another 10 years if cellared well.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2010

The Coonawarra is renowned for their Cabernets but they can produce top quality spicy Shiraz at very affordable prices.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2010

Oh so elegant and with plenty of interest is the first thing I wrote about this wine.  The oak and flavours are beautifully balanced even at this early stage of the wines development.  What takes this up the quality tree is the vibrancy of the fruit and the core of acid that everything is sitting on.  This wine is definitely not a fruit bomb, it is more a savoury styled Shiraz that will cellar well and look much better with a couple of years under its belt.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $12
Rated: 85+
Drink: 2014 - 2020

 

Balnaves The Tally 2000

Cabernet, when it is allowed to sit in the cellar, is so good to bring out for a big occasion and as it was my dad's 69th birthday I thought this would be a great time to so it off.  What Shiraz shows in its youth, Cabernet has in abundance with 10 years under its belt. Now I've been tasting and collecting the Tally ever since the wine was first made in 1998 so I can safely say that this wine is of ultra high quality but sits firmly at the bottom of the Tally vintages.

Balnaves The Tally 2000

The cork came out perfectly with no hints of wine running down the side of the cork so I thought I would be in for something special. This wine in perfectly in the middle of its journey to old age with a mix of youthful brambly and blackberry flavours intertwined with tobacco leaf and smoked salty licorice.  As my father was enjoying this a little too much I didn't get to see this evolve in the glass as he had already finished the rest of the bottle before I got to take another look.  Even still the wine has a great fluidity and joyfulness about it as the flavours, ripe tannin and succulent acidity run rings around my mouth. Drink with pride!

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $90
Rated: 92
Drink: Now - 2020

Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

When I first started collecting wine, Balnaves took up most of my cellar.  It holds a special place in my heart as it was one of the first wines my wife bought for me.  I've been collecting them ever since.  They planted their vineyard in 1976 with extra plantings now covering 140 acres of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. A brilliant move as I think it is the shining light of Cabernet in South Australia


Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Puckering tannins pull the wine effortlessly along my tongue with flavours of cedar, green peppercorns, pungent blackcurrant and dark chocolate.  It is marvelous that you can pick up such wines for such good prices.  I'm coming to the conclusion that Aussie Cab can go the distance.  If this was Shiraz it would have hit its peak but this baby is powering on.  Leave it alone and it will reward you handsomely. 


Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $30
Rated: 89
Drink: 2014 - 2021