Session 5 - Cabernet Sauvignon - Round Up

So Swirl, Sniff, Spit's 5th session focussed on Cabertnet and friends.  Here are some notes on the wines shown.

Bracket 1 – Classic ‘Bordeaux’
Margaret River – Wise Lot 80 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Showing regional typicity: dried leaf, touch of mint; blackfruits, cassis and cedar. Fine tannins

Hawkes Bay – Te Mata Woodthorpe Merlot Cabernets 2009
Softer, more fruit driven.  Balanced palate exhibiting some chocolate, blackcurrant and plum.  Good structure and length.

Bordeaux – Bordeaux Supérieur Vieux Naudin 2009
Lovely cigar and plum aroma, some ripeness in the palate.  Good finish with some grip.

Bracket 2 – The Valleys

Clare Valley - Thomson Estate Back Blocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Pretty aromatics; chocolate, plum and cedar through the middle leading to a grippy little finish.

Yarra Valley – De Bortoli Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Some funk readily apparent on the nose, meaty and savoury.  Smooth, silken and gentle persistence.  Some De Bortoli hallmarks exhibited.


Bracket 3 – Queensland’s Own

Granite Belt – Bent Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Just turning, still exhibiting some fruit but also some secondary fig and toffee.  Good soft and long finish. 

Granite Belt – Bent Road Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2009
Still exhibiting youth.  Fine wine with some good chalky tannin.

Bracket 4 – Victorian High Country

Pyrenees – Blue Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quite concentrated, somewhat fruit shy.  Hint of mint with a trailing mineral finish. 

Pyrenees – Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet
Smooth rounded.  Elements in check and balance.  Clean and silken conclusion.  A winner. 


Bonus Round - Barossa
Swirl, Sniff, Spit was fortunate to have Murray Street Vineyard winemaker Andrew Seppelt in attendance.  Andrew was kind enough to bring along his 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon for the crowd.

Generous fruit and spicy oak.  Length to remember.

Bracket 5 – The Terra Rossa

Coonawarra – Yalumba Menzies 2007
Strong eucalypt and menthol aroma.  Blackcurrant, cedar, hint of violets. Fine grained dryish tannins - balanced.

Coonawarra - Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Entry is soft, mid-weight with some cedary oak.  Expected cassis and mint. It smells of the Coonawarra soil.

Session 5 - Cabernet Sauvignon

The bastard love child of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc is a relatively young grape variety from around the 16^th Century.  It’s quite a sociable beast, loving to hang out with friends and family such as Cabernet Franc (is that weird – hanging out with your Dad?), Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

Its home is unarguably Bordeaux where the most famous examples make grown men cry and bank managers weep.

Bracket 1 – Classic ‘Bordeaux’
Margaret River – Wise Lot 80 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 @TheCrushGroup

Hawkes Bay – Te Mata Woodthorpe Cabernet Merlot 2009

Bordeaux – Bordeaux Supérieur Vieux Naudin 2009 @WorldWineEstate @AlanHunter

Bracket 2 – The Valleys

Clare Valley - Thomson Estate Back Blocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 @ByrneVineyards

Yarra Valley – De Bortoli Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 @DeBortoliWines

Bracket 3 – Queensland’s Own

Granite Belt – Bent Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 @WineMakerGlen

Granite Belt – Bent Road Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2009 @WineMakerGlen

Bracket 4 – Victorian High Country

Pyrenees – Blue Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 @BluePyrenees

Pyrenees – Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet @DalwhinnieWines

Bracket 5 – The Terra Rossa

Coonawarra – Yalumba Menzies 2007 @YalumbaMenzies

Coonawarra - Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 @CoonawarraK