Winetastic

It appears as if we saved the best for last when it came to reviewing three wines from Old Mill Estate, their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon being the pick of the bunch.

Aromas of ripe blackberry, plum, choc mint and a bit of alcoholic heat, the palate shows slightly tart blackberry fruit, spicy oak and a hint of liquorice. A round mouth feel with fine drying tannins, the wine also has enough acid to lead into a well balanced finish.

This young Cabernet was surprisingly approachable as a drink now proposition, however it did take some time in the decanter before the aromas and flavours really opened up. That being said, it should improve with bottle age over the medium term.

Score: 90/100
Price: $24
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 15.5%
Other Opinions: Torbwine, Wine Without Wank
Would I buy this wine?
Yes, worth putting a couple of bottles in the cellar

The first of two vintages from the same producer are up for review today, the Old Mill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. The recommended retail price is $24, however it can be picked up for $20 at Squashedgrape.

Dark crimson in colour, vibrant blackberry aromas are supported by tobacco and dusty earth lurking beneath. There is plenty of chewy tannin, bold dark fruits and spicy oak on a full bodied palate.

Overall I found the tannins too overt for drinking young, however it has the structure and balance to age gracefully over the medium term.

Score: 88/100
Price: $24
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: Torbwine, Wine Without Wank
Would I buy this wine?
I prefer the 2005 Cabernet from the same producer

Scorpiiion are a relatively new boutique producer from the Barossa Valley who kindly sent three bottles of red for us to review. The first cab off the rank (if you would pardon the pun) is the Scorpiiion Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, a multi-regional blend of Barossa and McLaren Flat fruit.

This Cabernet exhibits fragrant aromas of tobacco and eucalypt swimming in an ocean of ripe plummy dark fruits and berries. Full bodied with loads of fruit flavour, well managed spicy oak, a velvety mouthfeel and fine, slightly powdery tannins. It’s rich, well balanced and very modern in style, with a satisfying and clean finish.

The Scorpiiion philosophy is to let the fruit do the talking, they have done a good job in producing a Cabernet that is approachable while young, without being overripe. As far as I can tell, the wine is only available direct via their website, or from Squashedgrape.

Score: 90/100
Price: $29
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: None appear to exist online
Would I buy this wine?
If it was available for around $20-25, yes.

Wynns have a reputation for good quality and excellent value with their black label Cabernet, I had heard murmurings that over the last few years they had been slipping a little, however the 2004 release looks to be a rousing return to form.

A deep and vibrant red in colour, this wine smells distinctly of menthol and blackcurrant with a touch of mint and some spices. There is good structure and balance between dark plummy fruit, tangy acid and cedar oak on the nice long finish. Serious amounts of drying tannins need some time to settle down.

Generally I don’t mind a fair whack of tannin in my reds, however after the second glass it all became a bit too much at this early stage, so if you are drinking it young, be sure to have it with a big chunk of beef or lamb. This wine is a medium-long term cellaring proposition, and a good one at that.

Score: 90/100
Price: $16
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 13.5%
Other Opinions: Wynns, Winorama
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, cant go wrong at $15-16 per bottle.

The Lake Breeze Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 was recommended by the staff at Dan Murphy’s Menai, I was told the distinct minty flavours would be an ideal match for our roast lamb meal, the suggestion was spot on.

Deep crimson with purple hues, this Cabernet has vibrant aromas of plum and blackcurrant. Full flavoured and well balanced, lush forest fruits up front lead into a long finish of mint, cedar oak and some spices. The sound structure of the wine is enhanced by smooth and drying tannins. Lakebreeze have further information and tasting notes available.

Although it is not neccessarily an indication of a wines quality, the past 11 vintages of the Lake Breeze Cabernet Sauvignon have won 3 trophies and 19 gold medals at wine shows, a solid track record.

Score: 9/10
Price: $18
Closure: Cork
Would I buy this wine again?
Definitely, value for money and quality abounds.

Now that the cooler weather has arrived we are getting stuck right into the reds again. In the interests of science we are trying as many different wines as possible, this week it is the Robertsons Well Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, made from fruit grown in the Coonawarra region.

Initially inviting aromas of blackberry, plum and oak, these continue onto the palate accompanied by some spices and drying tannins on the finish. Medium bodied and easy drinking. This is not an overly complex wine, however you cannot really expect that much from a $14 Cabernet.

Overall this is a good wine, however it is not hard to justify spending the extra $3 for a bottle of the Mamre Brook Cabernet when it is on special.

Score: 6/10
Price: $14
Closure: Cork
Would I buy this wine again?
Maybe if I was after a budget Cabernet and was faced with an unfamiliar selection.

Wanting to make a night out for Italian food a little special, I splashed out on an aged bottle of Italian Cabernet, the Carpineto Farnito 1998.

Distinct aromas of mushrooms and earth carry through to the palate where they are supported by subtle red berry flavours. A medium bodied wine that is silky smooth and finishes with hints of fine tannins. The Carpineto website has further information and tasting notes.

The wine was fantastic when paired with a creamy chicken, mushroom and pesto risotto. I could see it being a great pairing with veal or tomato based pasta sauces as well. By most other reports the 1998 was an average vintage which did not live up to the “amazing” 1995.

Score: 8/10
Price: $35
Closure: Cork
Would I buy this wine again?
For the price there are better wines to be had, future vintages may offer better value.

The cabernet sauvignon used in this wine was sourced from mature vines from selected areas of the Barossa region. Saltram Estate produced a good cabernet in the 2003 vintage, however this is a real cracker!

A dark garnet in colour this wine presents strong aromas of chocolate and berries on the nose, with a hint of subtle spices, quite remarkably resembling blackforest gateaux. The palate is rich, full and complex beginning with fleshy berries, leading into an earthy finish which is slightly dry whilst remaining smooth. This is a full bodied cab sav, richly layered with flavours and a hint of tannin supported by a good length.

This wine is drinking incredibly well now but the bottle recommends a drinking window of five to eight years. This is a wine that can be drank on it’s own because of it’s complexity and finesse. Although it is a little dry at first, this wine benefits from having the cork pulled ahead of time.

Would I buy this wine again?
At only $17 a bottle I think there is excellent value for money to be had, this is an age worthy complex wine worth investing in.

Having been intending to try this wine for some time, I snapped up a bottle as soon as I saw it on special at uncle dan’s for only $15. Taking heed of other reviewer’s suggestions, the cork was pulled a couple of hours in advance to allow the wine some time to open up in the air.

Fleshy plums, berries and alcohol on the nose, the palate has a solid structure starting with juicy dark fruit and finishing with noticeably drying tannins and lingering flavours of coffee and oak. This is not a cabernet for the feint hearted, displaying its ripe and rich Barossa heritage. The back label suggests cellaring for 5-8 years, you would be hard pressed to find a better cabernet at the price to put away for the medium term.

Initially I wanted to give the wine 8/10, however after some consideration I downgraded the score by one point. I am aiming to rate the wines as they are drinking right now, rather than attempting to make predictions about its cellaring potential. I will be buying several bottles to put away for a few years however.

Score: 7/10
Price: $15-20
Closure: Cork
Would I buy this wine again?
At the often seen “on special” price of $15, yes indeed.

I recently reviewed the 2001 vintage of this wine which was lush, balanced and delicious. Unfortunately the last case sold out at our local bottle shop, so I picked up one bottle of the 2002 vintage to give it a try.

A typical Cabernet varietal nose of plums, berries and oak. The oakfest continued on the palate accompanied by some bitter grape seed flavours which were most unpleasant. After spending a couple of hours in the decanter the wine was marginally better, however half the bottle ended up going down the sink the next day.

Rosemount talk this wine up in their online tasting notes, however I was really disappointed with this wine as 2002 was supposed to be quite a good vintage down in South Australia. Admittedly the style is designed to age for many years, however its older brother from 2001 was delicious young.

Score: 4/10
Would I buy this wine again?
Although I am curious to see how this wine would taste in 5-10 years time, there are far more enjoyable wines to be had for $20.