We met at the fabulous Little Lulu’s Bistro (328 Bulwer Street Perth). This cozy restaurant has only been open a few months, but may well be the best BYO in Perth. Excellent French inspired cuisine and a perfect match for the wines we were tasting.
Xanadu Wines is now part of the Rathbone Wine Group (which also has Yering Station and Mt Langi Ghiran in its portfolio) and has been a major player in Margaret River since its establishment in 1977. It has received considerable show success in recent years with this wine especially (although there is a Reserve Cabernet as well, at 3 times the price). This included the 2016 vintage winning the Jimmy.
Winemaking and grape composition (since 2013 at least, the wine has small quantities of Petit Verdot and Malbec alongside the Cabernet Sauvignon) are consistent from year to year, which means that a vertical tasting hopefully shows any vintage variation, with all other factors being approximately equal. This certainly proved to be the case in this tasting.
Wines were served from youngest vintage to older, and the reds were decanted 4-5 hours before service. As we only had 10 vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon on hand, we opened with a bracket of chardonnays:
Xanadu Chardonnay 2022: Straw colour. Initially lemon sherbet on the nose, with nectarine, yellow peach (skin), cashew, white grapefruit, lime and pear. This is a great demonstration of the range of notes picked up by the tasting group, as I certainly did not see all of these! More tangy grapefruit on the palate, more ripe yellow peach, and cedary oak adding mouthfeel as well as savoury notes. High acidity a little dried apricot, and good length.
Xanadu Chardonnay 2019: Pale yellow in colour. Banana skin, cedary oak / nutty characters, citrus, pear and freshly shaved prosciutto on the nose. The palate heads more into stone fruit territory, especially white peach. There’s high acid, some tannic grip along with fruit sweetness and a touch of richness (despite the cooler vintage). In balance.
Xanadu Chardonnay 2018: Pale yellow in colour. Oak dominant, with spicy oak over preserved lemon and peach skin on the nose. More savoury oak on the palate initially, with tangy lemon emerging over time. The acid and fruit flows evenly across the tongue and the wine shows good length, however, seems to be more developed than we predicted for its age.
Xanadu Chardonnay 2015: Yellow in colour. For a 9year old wine, the nose was relatively youthful, showing citrus, mango, tropical fruits, apricot, stone fruits, and some honeyed notes. There’s ripe peach and preserved lemon on the palate, with oak in the background, and acid providing freshness. The wine is showing development, but is in really good nick, and was voted wine of the bracket. The reds were taste over three brackets, and accompanied by Lulu’s fine food:
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2021: Deep purple in colour. Youthful nose of blackcurrant, cassis, tobacco, coffee grounds, menthol, aniseed, smoked meats and savoury oak, There’s volumes of blackcurrant and mulberry fruit on the palate, matched by considerable acid, and grippy, dusty drying tannins. This was the most obviously oaky of the reds, and not surprisingly, we’re drinking it many years too young! Another 10 years no worries.
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2020: Deep purple in colour. Mint / eucalypt, blackcurrant, mocha, bay leaf and cedary oak on the nose. Dark chocolate and coffee grounds on the palate provide some texture, and there’s an intense core of dark berry fruit. There’s licorice, violets and graphite, along with grippy tannins and supporting acid, all in balance. Long finish. Well supported by the group.
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2019: Deep purple. Milk chocolate, black olive, blackcurrant, tobacco or cigars on the nose. Dark fruit and coffee grounds open the palate. Acid is dialed down compared to the previous wines, and tannins are softer. Long finish. Not as intense as the previous wines, but more approachable now as a result. Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2018: Purple in colour. Dark chocolate, black olive, blackberries, mulberries, cassis, white pepper, charcuterie, and one taster picked redcurrant. Cocoa powder on the palate leads to a velvety texture. There’s lots of ripe dark fruits (showing some development) and acid and tannins are integrating. The wine is persistent and balanced, leading to a long finish. Complex.
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2017: Purple in colour. The nose is perfumed, with cassis, black olive, vanilla and eucalypt. The palate shows sweet and bright red fruits, and only moderate tannins. While medium bodied, the wine is softer and less intense, and the acidity is carrying the wine. Drinking well now.
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2016: Purple in colour. The nose shows balsamic vinegar, dark chocolate, spicy oak, and savoury notes, like a meat extract. There’s more spicy oak on the palate, with lots of dark fruits – plums, berries and blackcurrant. Tannins are in the black tea spectrum, and there’s some cocoa and dark chocolate. Long finish and the wine should go another 5+ years. Well regarded by the group. Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2015: Purple with red tinges. Bay leaf, menthol, and cocoa dust on the nose with a blend of primary dark fruits and secondary fruit characters. There’s more blackcurrant on the palate, with the cocoa powder providing texture as well as flavour. Tannins and acid are integrating, leading to a long finish. The wine is showing obvious signs of development but remains balanced.
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2014: Purple with red tinges. The nose shows blackcurrant, menthol, cassis and savoury oak. The palate appears hot (although the alcohol hasn’t varied greatly from surrounding vintages). There’s lots of dark fruits with tannins in the background. There’s sharp acid and a mid-palate hole. The wine was considered one dimensional and unbalanced.
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: Purple with red tinges. Bay leaf, blackberry, mulberry and cedary oak on the nose. The palate is rich and full flavoured with a milk chocolate velvety texture. Tannins are grippy but integrating well and the acid is providing freshness in what is now an 11-year-old wine. Complex, a long finish and one taster noted “a complete cabernet”. For me, totally drinkable now, and I did
. Highly regarded by the group. Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2010: Purple with red tinges. Developed fruits on the nose, and more in the plum spectrum than blackcurrant. Savoury oak, with meats, leather and tobacco. The palate is the most savoury of the wines in this tasting – oak slightly dominates, and fruits are slightly diminishing. There’s milk chocolate and glycerols providing mouthfeel. Good length and complexity and the wine is at its peak or slightly on the downward slide. Not bad for 14 years!
Wine of the night was Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, by a considerable margin from 2020 and 2016. Vintage variation played its part, with 2019 and 207 showing less intensity but more elegance, and these were a pleasure to drink earlier. Overall, however, the wines show relative consistency, especially in terms of acid levels and tannin structure. The wines appear to be well balanced, in their youth and heading into maturity, which means cellaring medium term with confidence.
My profound thanks to Mark and Jodie at Lulu’s Little Bistro generously hosting us, and to all (including Mark) who joined us for the tasting and the meal. Good company!
Cheers
Allan