Winemaker Notes
Medium depth crimson with purple hues. A rich and lifted nose of blueberry, blackcurrant and black olive, with a hint of cedar, liquorice and sweet spices adding to the complexity . Bright and rich berry fruits coat the palate and mingle with brambly spice, hints of black olive and liquorice. Full-bodied with velvety, fine tannins adding to the structure which flows through the long, fruity and spicy finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Blacksmith Cabernet Sauvignon is juicy and bright, with an uncomplicated array of red and purple fruits in the mouth. 2019 was a very warm (hot), dry vintage that suffered also from low yields. As a result, the wines en masse have a compacted, brooding nature, which this wine exudes. This is very good value for money and eloquently expresses of the Barossa terroir.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.