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Australian Cabernet: Tasting, September 2004
Just a year and a half on from my last tasting concerning Cabernet and Cabernet blends from the Australian continent, and it is time once to take a look. Last time I did state my preference for the Margaret River style over that from other regions, although that prejudice wasn;t borne out by the results of my tasting. This time, the two Western wines, from Howard Park and Moss Wood showed beautifully, and they convinced me that they deserved a place in any cellar. The other star performer was Petaluma, the Coonawarra estate established by Brian Croser; the 1994 Cabernet was delicious and yet serious and structured.
The tasting looked exclusively at wines from the 1994 vintage, and all were tasted blind. My notes are written up here as just I made them at the time of tasting. The only wine not included below was the 1994 Angelus from Wirra Wirra, which was sadly found to be corked. (9/9/04)
Australian Cabernet - Tasting Notes
Tasted in September 2004. Click
to locate stockists.
Elderton Cabernet Sauvignon (Barossa, South Australia) 1994: Amazingly
still a little purple at the rim, but with a dark core. Dense, macerated, dark
berry fruits, exotic and smoky. Full, balanced on the palate, with plenty of
structure still. Tannins show on the midpalate. Firm acidity. A good fluid
mouthfeel behind it. Alcohol seems a touch disjointed though. 15.5+/20
Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon
(Coonawarra, South Australia) 1994:
Very dark, through to a deep red rim. Very dense nose, smoky-stony,
leathery-sweaty blackcurrant fruit. Creamily coats the palate, with peppery
tannins and extract. Even at this age it leaves the mouth coated with tannin.
Soft and supple feel beneath it though. Has impressive potential for what is a
basic cuvée. Needs five years at least. 15.5+/20
Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Margaret River, Western Australia)
1994: Dark, glossy wine. Minty, chocolatey, brooding fruit. A big,
concentrated wine, with super extract. Very ripe black fruit. Spicy structure,
firm tannins. Delicious quality. Drink in five to fifteen years. 17+/20
Leasingham Classic Clare Cabernet Sauvignon (Clare Valley, South
Australia) 1994: Dark and glossy, with a red-purple rim. Treacle
toffee, leather, mint, ripe sweet fruit. Rounded and creamy palate. Slightly
vegetal and leathery, a little open-knit, although it has tannin. Delightful.
Drink now and over the next ten years. 16/20
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River, Western Australia) 1994:
Very dark. Serious, mineral and cordite nose, complex, with dark blackcurrant
fruit. Very concentrated fruit, with a glossy, pure blackcurrant feel. Good structure and
extract. Full and impressive. Excellent. Drink over the next ten years. 17.5+/20
Petaluma Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, South Australia) 1994:
Moderately dark hue. Perfumed, stony and elegant nose. Dense and mature
though. Full, balanced, fluid and creamy palate. Good ripe structure. Fine
acidity. This is impressive; delicious, approachable, yet serious. Drink over
the next ten years. 17.5+/20
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