Winemaker Notes
A very concentrated deep red color. The bouquet is already very complex, combining clean and rich blackcurrant aromas (typical of great vintages of this wine style) with a touch of blackberry and vanillin oak. The palate is a complex amalgam of liquorice, fennel and different fruit flavors, including plum, mulberry, red currant and blueberry, backed by just the right amount of clean oak. Long and persistent. The extraordinary depth of flavor reflects the outstanding quality of the 2007 vintage Can be cellared at least 20 years.
The 2007 Diana Madeline was made from 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This has attractive florals with dried blue fruit, leaves and forest wood, as well as fresh red berries. Some earth, too. It gives a fresh and elegant impression. The palate confirms this and is really quite fresh and fleshy with red-plum and pomegranate flavors. There’s a lot to like here. Very fresh, long and poised. No additions. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Showing a bit more evolved color than the 2004, the 2007 Diana Madeline features scents of tea, cassis and brown sugar. It's medium-bodied, with a plush, velvety mid-palate and just a slightly coarse finish. This should be consumed over the next few years.
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Wine Spectator
Velvety in texture and lively in flavor, with red berry, cherry, mineral and rosemary flavors competing for attention on a vibrant frame. This has transparency, elegance and grace, with a very long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2016. 100 cases imported.
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Wine Enthusiast
Despite this wine's reputation for longevity, the 2007 seems to be an early-maturing vintage of Diana Madeline. It's full bodied and supple, with tobacco and cassis notes that pick up chocolaty, almost fudge-like nuances.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Home to some of Australia’s most elegant and long-lived red and white wines, Margaret River is situated in the farthest reaches of Western Australia. Relatively warm and dry, the region is cooled by breezes from the Indian Ocean. Margaret River takes some inspiration from Bordeaux, producing top-quality Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux Blends with firm structure, mouthwatering acidity, balanced alcohol and notes of herbs and spice. For white wines, refreshing blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon as well as complex, age-worthy Chardonnays are regional specialties.