Winemaker Notes
Big Cabernet Merlot nose, full of blackcurrants, black olives and bay leaves. Thepalate is full and generous, with flavours ofblack currant pastels and liquorice sweets.There's some tannin present, but not toomuch. It's tasty, and fun drinking.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a strong bottling of this Cabernet-dominant red blend. There's a slight funk at first, which quickly blows off to reveal aromas of mint, tomato stem, iodine, pencil shavings and warm clay, all weaving through puckered, sun-kissed fruit. The palate is big and broad yet raspy and a little on the warm side alcohol-wise. It avoids being syrupy, however, thanks to a lifted line of acidity and a grip of sinewy, spicy tannins. Shows variety and place expression at an affordable price point.
Best Buy
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.
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.