1999 Henry's Drive Cabernet Sauvignon.

JamieBahrain · Post by **JamieBahrain** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 9:07 pm

Bought the wine in Hong Kong. The cork was crumbly but thankfully the wine in good condition.

I didn't know what to expect. Padthaway cabernet and Sparky Marquis? A sexed up fruit bomb?

Red-purple with a good varietal nose. The oak was discenible but not overdone. Cassis, leaf and a general fruit sweetness. Expecting lots of alchohol and extract of which their was neither. Good concentration on the palate before the hole, with persistant backpalate flavour. The wine has very good length with smooth tannin and acids.

Overall a smooth and balanced wine, good varieatals distracted by a little sweetness and lack of complexity.

Good wine, expected a milkshake, but I just frown slightly at the $30 price tag.

I bought some of their Reserve Shiraz in 2000 on spec so here's hoping.

markg · Post by **markg** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 10:14 am

The 2000 Reserve Shiraz is one of my personal favorites.

JamieBahrain · Post by **JamieBahrain** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 5:13 pm

Thank you Mark.

Reference the Reserve, drinking windows?

Or is it the rumoured in your face and drink soon wine?

I was expecting something entirely different with the regular cabernet. Pleasantly surprised and only really critical of the price. $20ish and you would be happy.

markg · Post by **markg** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 11:03 am

Personally, I love drinking this wine now. The only reason I don't drink more is that I only have about 6 bottles and 3 magnums left and pull them out for special occassions only.

I would try one now if I were you; possibly in your face stylew, although I feel it is wonderfully balanced, but will last quite some time.

In contrast I cannot abide the Henrys Drive 2001 offerings - they are definately in your face, I thought they were one dimensional and too much like the Marquis Philips wines (no suprise there), the 2001 Reserve Shiraz was a total let down (IMO).