Winetastic

We have saved the best of the current crop of Yelland & Papps reds until last - the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon comes up trumps, delivering in both the fruit department and length.

Powerful blackcurrant fruits with a touch of mint take the lead with and a dash of pepper on the long, drying finish. Very persistant flavours and velvety tannins are a highlight.

I might be being a bit of a points miser here as I expect the wine will improve over the medium to long term. Even as a young wine it should look great along side a hearty beef dish. As usual Barossa Cabernet trumps Shiraz for my tastes.

Score: 92/100
Price: $30
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: None I could find…
Would I buy this wine?
Yes, it’s an excellent Barossa Cabernet

Gotta love Barwang, flying the flag for NSW Cabernet and keeping those rampaging hordes from the south and west at bay. This 2006 vintage is excellent, however by the time you read this it’s probably too late to snap any up from retail shelves which are now stacked with the very good 2007 - a review of which is pending.

The sweet aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry lure you into the full bodied palate, naturally loaded with blackcurrant flavour supported by a dash of spice and fine tannins with a little grip. Youthful, balanced and very drinkable right now, or you could cellar over the medium term.

I think it is fair to say that this is the best value for money Cabernet I have tried this year, so if you happen to spot any bottles left at retail, buy the lot and send me a few more.

Score: 93/100
Price: $16
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, sadly I only managed to get my hands on 4 bottles.

Majella have an excellent reputation and in an effort to expand the number of Cabernet based wines in our cellar, I picked up a bottle of Majella Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 to try - it was a good move.

Vibrant aromas of blackcurrant, liquorice, menthol and spices. The palate is led by powerful and juicy blackcurrant fruit, plenty of super fine tannin and a little lingering coffee on the finish. Its robust, well balanced and very long - excellent Cabernet and good value at around $30.

If you are a bit of a tannin fiend, this is a rather enjoyable drink-now proposition, however it should really blossom after another 5 or more years in the cellar.

Score: 93/100
Price: $30
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: The Wine Front, Torbwine
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, I sense a six pack coming our way

Tahbilk have being making wine down in central victoria since… well basically the dawn of time. I have no idea why it has taken so long for us to review what is one of the great bargains of the Australian wine world: Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2004.

This Cabernet smells of sweet dark berries, menthol and herbs growing in a pine forest. There is a bit of warmth up front on the palate, however this is carried by the fleshy yet tart dark fruits and mouthfilling and chewy tannins. Surprising length for a $15 wine, drinking well now.

I was a little skeptical while drinking the first glass, however as we progressed through the bottle this wine really started to grow on me, a definite bargain at $15 for a Cabernet that has an excellent pedigree and mid-term cellaring potential to boot.

Score: 90/100
Price: $15
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: Tahbilk, Winorama
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, time to pop a few in the cellar.

For some reason it has taken me around three years to even try a Cabernet based wine from Margaret River. I will atone for my sins and swiftly include several of these wines in my cellar, starting with the Sandalford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.

Sweet blackcurrant and blackberry aromas draw you into glass, on the front palate it’s all juicy, velvety and mouthfilling followed by a long and drying finish with plenty of chalky tannin and a little oak.

The finish is a touch warming, a trait I have noticed with other Margaret River Cabernets and feel is best described as a dash of white pepper. Overall a very good package, enjoyable now (after a serious decant) however should be much better after some time in the cellar.

Score: 92/100
Price: $28
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: Sandalford, The Wine Front
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, I feel the wine is priced reasonably.

During a recent trip to the Mount Pleasant cellar door, one of the staff kindly slipped us a bottle of the Brands Laira “Blockers” Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 to try. I have not really explored the Brands label, a stablemate to Mount Pleasant within the McWilliams company, however this particular bottle was festooned with gold trophy stickers.

Vibrant blood red in colour with exceptional clarity, the aromas were initally a bit closed with brooding blackcurrant and aniseed evident. In the mouth this cabernet is powerful and full bodied with juicy dark berries, black olive, restrained cedar oak and a dash of spices. The fine yet pronounced tannins are approachable now, however the structure also suggests medium term cellaring potential.

I was surprised when I looked up the alcohol content, never would have picked it from what I saw in the bottle as even now the wine is so well balanced and very very drinkable. As a matter of fact I wish I had another glass right now…

Score: 93/100
Price: $20
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 15.5%
Other Opinions: Winorama
Would I buy this wine?
RRP is $25 however you should be able to source this wine for under $20 - a bargain at that price, I will buy some.

I noticed that Penley Estate’s “Phoenix” Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 has been getting some good press as a great value for money red with a little cellaring potential in its back pocket. Armed with this information I picked up a bottle to review at the thrifty price of $17.

Very drinkable for a young cabernet, showing aromas of blackberry and ripe dark cherries. The palate is ripe, fruit forward and well balanced with a fine, approachable tannin structure and well integrated oak. Very easy drinking now and should be more interesting after 5 years in the cellar.

Although the wine did improve slightly over a few hours, there is no need for a decant if drinking now. What more is there to say? Well done Penley Estate on a great value for money Cabernet.

Score: 90/100
Price: $17
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 15%
Other Opinions: Penley Estate, TORBWine
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, will definitely put a few away for a short sleep in the cellar.

Usually I ramble on a bit about the background of a wine, however Wynns Black Label Cabernet 2006 really does not need any introduction. I will cut right to the chase and recommend buying a 6-pack for the cellar, especially now that the wine is sealed under screwcap.

Vibrant aromas of plum jam, blackberry, menthol and vanilla oak, this Cabernet tastes nowhere near as ripe as it smells exhibiting a somewhat savory palate of plum and blackberry, mint and a little cocoa. Weighty and mouth filling with a very chewy texture and loads of chalky tannin, the finish is rather long for a ~$20 wine.

I was surprised how the aromatics were leaping out of the bottle straight after removing the screwcap as you often find young red wines, especially Cabernet, are quite closed under these circumstances. It drinks well now, however you need to decant the wine for at least 3-4 hours before the fruit has time to swallow up the oak and tannins.

Score: 92/100
Price: $22
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14%
Other Opinions: Winorama, TORBWine
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, outstanding bang for your buck - especially if discounted below $20 like the 2005 vintage

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