Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This is a vibrant, coastal cabernet sauvignon (86 percent of the blend) from the gravelly soils of Stevens Valley, three miles from the sea. It’s fragrant with red berry and rose scents, the tannins providing an elegant herbal edge to the plushness of the fruit. Bottle age has rounded and integrated the flavors, but the wine still feels youthful. A graceful red to decant now or cellar, as it only gets better with air.
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.