Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Deep and complex nose with notes of cassis, black cherry, lavender, peppermint and graphite. Some blue fruit, too. It’s full-bodied with polished, velvety tannins and deep, meaty structure. Great balance and length. Polished texture. Drink or hold. Sustainable. Screw cap.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Part of the criticism leveled at New World wines is the flamboyant fruitiness that seems to come so easily to them. I would counter that fruit purity is not something to hide, nor be ashamed of. However, balance is without a doubt the single most important attribute in wine, no matter where it is from. So in the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, we see a wine that harnesses the fruit purity and sweetness in Margaret River (raspberry, cassis, blackberry) and packages it within a casing of nori, kelp, iodine, fresh leather, brine and graphite. It is a wine that has both yin and yang. Perhaps this sets it apart from many other wines in Margaret River, but it also shows a precise sophistication. It will age gracefully, that is for sure.
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.
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.