Mount Mary Yarra Valley Quintet
Essence of blackcurrant. Bay leaves, licorice, tobacco and musky oak. One of those wines that seems to cascade through the mouth. Tremendous purity, freshness, elegance. Great release. Not much need be said. Pure velvet. Pure length. Drink 2019-2032.
Clerc Milon
Pontet Canet
Moss Wood Vineyard Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
This legendary Cabernet Sauvignon is intensely perfumed and finely structured with cassis-blackcurrant aromas, hints of cedar and touches of violet. The oak and fruit are neatly balanced. Typically the fruit is hand-picked, de-stemmed into open tanks and hand-plunged four times a day until completion of fermentation. At the end of vinification, the wine is allowed to macerate for around 10 to 14 days prior to pressing off into barrel. The wine is matured in 30% new and seasoned French oak barriques for 24 months.
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
One of Australia's icon wines, this is Cabernet at its very best. This wine is the very definition of power and elegance. Hand crafted by Keith Mugford and his team in the Margaret River, Moss Wood deservedly fits in the Exceptional category of Langton's Classification of Australian Wine.
Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Shiraz
A luxurious combination of soft ripe autumn berries with fresh cool country cherries, this wine exemplifies the harmony that can be achieved by blending these two noble grapes together. The wine has an unctuous elegance that caresses the palate with a structure that is exceeded only in its width by its length. Still a youthful creature, this wine will age gracefully for decades to come. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (57%) and Shiraz (43%). Sourced from 1971 (100%) planted on the Estate. All batches were fermented separately and blended prior to bottling. These batches of Cabernet and Shiraz represent the pinnacle wines from the Estate, our vision is to produce a seamless integration of the best of both varieties, with great aging potential. The winemaking follow suit from the previous wines, this wine is about the best blocks of the vintage and best barrels being carefully blended. Rack and returned three times during the maturation of 15 months 100% new oak, Shiraz Burgundy coopered French oak, Cabernet Bordeaux coopered French oak Alan Hickinbotham established the vineyard bearing his name in 1971 when he planted dry- grown cabernet sauvignon and shiraz in contoured rows on the sloping site. He was a very successful builder, this his first venture into wine, but his father, Alan Robb Hickinbotham, had a long and distinguished career, co-founding the oenology diploma at Roseworthy in 36. In 2012 Clarendon, and the stately sandstone house on the property, was purchased by Jackson Family Wines; it is run as a separate business from Yangarra Estate Vineyard, with different winemaking teams and wines. The Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard covers a steep cut of country from the ridgetops above the village of Clarendon to the Onkaparinga River in the gorge below. Since its establishment in 1971, the Hickinbotham vineyard has become a part of Australias wine heritage, supplying fruit to produce many of Australias greatest wines. The Clarendon Vineyard has sold select parcels to Penfolds for Grange and to Hardys for their equivalent white flagship, the Eileen Hardy Chardonnay.
St Hugo Orlando Cabernet Sauvignon
Cullen Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot
Château d'Issan Margaux
The 2010 Chateau d'Issan is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, showing 'classic Margaux' in its perfume, finesse and apparent elegance. Soils are gravel and clay, which contributes to the high-tones of perfume from the wine, and though an estate that is neccesarily clawing its way back to a higher profile, is doing so with deeds in bottle over showmanship. On its side, the vineyard is dense with older vines that naturally offer lower yields, allowing for a higher quality of fruit for the winemaking team, in turn producing a wine of stellar quality from 2010.
Château Brane-Cantenac Margaux
Château Brane-Cantenac sits in a prime position on the plateau of Cantenac and makes full use of its excellent terroir. No doubt something that Baron de Brane was aware of and along with his viticultural talents were the reasons behind the estates rise to fame. Now tended by the Lurton family, the wines continue to be in great hands. Of the 2009 vintage, Henri Lurton is known to have said that the winery was enveloped in aromas of raspberry and blackberry even before fermentation began! Even though fruit ripeness is an obvious trait, the balance and structure of the wine are also clearly evident which will see the wine age for a decade or two more.
