This Cabernet Merlot by Tenuta san Guido was created for two reasons: first of all, the desire to see what they could accomplish with Merlot, a grape that they had never used before; second, the desire to offer the consumer a wine which could be appreciated at a younger age compared to their veteran Sassicaia.

Rated 97 Halliday points. "Deep crimson-purple; whereas the '11 had to fight every inch of the way, this wine displays almost contemptuous ease in the way it has marshalled the layers of black fruits and ripe tannins that soak up the new oak inputs. This will be one of the long-lived, great Black Labels." James Halliday Wine Companion, July 2015.

One of the Margaret River's more celebrated producers, Howard Park have forged a healthy cult following. The 2001 Cabernet Blend is a full bodied red that has developed liquorice and humidor characters beneath a layers of concentrated blackberry.

Domaine A Cabernet Sauvignon, which also includes a small percentage of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot is a foil to the more opulent mainland styles. Violets, roses and blackcurrants pervade through the wine like an English country garden. The tannins are especially fine grained and there is a beautiful freshness and mineral quality on the palate. The parcels of fruit are batch vinified in stainless steel tanks before maturation in 100% new oak for between two and three years.

The Bin 389 style evolved as a result of experiments, by Max Schubert, in the 1950s to develop a highly individual wine using a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz with compatible oak treatment. Bin 389 combines the elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon with the richness of Shiraz and demonstrates the traditional Penfolds' trademark - balance between fruit and oak, giving the wine character and longevity.

Grape variety - 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Oak maturation - 15 months, 60% new and 40% 2 year old French oak barriques. Colour - Deep red with red-purple hue. Aroma - A ripe, concentrated and complex wine that’s loaded with cedar oak, cassis, bay leaf, damp earth, dried lavender and gravel dust. Palate - Rich and long with very fine tannin. There are classic Cabernet characters of cassis, bay leaf, mulberry, cocoa and lavender with cedar oak in support. A ripe, brooding wine that will benefit from decanting. Food matches - This wine suits the classics. Try with matured hard cheeses, rosemary infused lamb or rare beef fillet steak. Peak drinking - Drinking well upon release but has the potential to evolve and impress towards 2032. Viticulture - Fruit sourced to make the Yelverton is grown with absolute attention to detail. Identification of soil boundaries within blocks is the first step in selecting potentially superior fruit. Close monitoring and analysis of these vines leads to shoot or bunch thinning by hand if required to obtain the perfect balance for good exposure and healthy ripening. A philosophy of minimal inputs in these premium blocks allows the unique combination of variety, soil type and microclimate to shine through and produce a parcel of fruit with true character. The 2020 vintage was a near perfect growing season with mild day temperatures, cold nights and no heat spikes. Winemaking - Our Forester Yelverton Cabernet Sauvignon parcels are gently crushed to small open fermenters and receive a slight “drain-off’ of free run juice to increase the skin to juice ratio. This helps intensify the flavour, aroma and body of the wine without altering the underlying unique vineyard qualities present. A slow temperature controlled ferment is employed with daily draining away of fermenting juice under gravity and pumping back over the skins to assist in the extraction. Heading down boards keep the ‘cap’ of skins submerged beneath the cool fermenting wine to avoid excessive heat which we believe leads to a more refined wine. The ideal skin contact time in fermenter varies from one vintage to the next with the 2020 Cabernet spending an average 25 days in contact with skins before pressing out. The best parcels are aged in fine grained French oak barriques for 15 months with careful blending of the Yelverton taking place approximately three months prior to bottling. Storage and Bottling - The 2020 Yelverton was bottled in November of 2021 to premium claret glass with a stelvin closure. Stored in our temperature controlled cellar prior to release this wine is drinking exceptionally well now and with prudent storage should continue to show well towards 2032. Decanting recommended.

Picardy is one of Australia's leading premium boutique wine producers, established in 1993 in the Pemberton region of Western Australia. Picardy is owned and operated by Bill, Sandra, and Dan Pannell. Tete De Cuvee means the best wine of the vintage. This wine was born through Bill and Dan's love of the great Premier Cru and Grand Cru red wines and their desire to make the best Pinot Noir of which Picardy is capable.