An inviting, lush nose with just a hint of varietal leafiness. It's not the gravel-fest one might expect from Margaret River Cabernet but, if you can get past the absence of outré regional character, the aroma profile is gently approachable and attractive. Good complexity, with oak playing a relatively prominent role in vanilla custard mode. The fruit character seems rounded rather than intellectual and angular, perhaps a function of bottle age as well as style.
The palate is quite consistent with the nose, while at the same time being more revealing of this wine's idiosyncrasies and, perhaps, weaknesses. There's not a lot of focus to the way it flows through the mouth, in line with the easygoing flavours on offer. It's a lazy wash rather than a precise stream of flavour. Perhaps the oak is partly to blame; it's both delicious and rather too present. But then, the fruit also strikes me as very rich and ripe. An odd brine-like note mixes with cashews, twig and velvet tannins on the after palate, while the finish is a bit warm but undeniably long and soft.
I'm fighting against my expectations with this wine because, on the one hand, it's very tasty, but on the other it's lacking that intellectual edge I enjoy in Cabernet. Quite delicious all the same.
Leave a comment