TN: Plantagenet Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

[Waiters Friend]

Regular forumites will realise I've reviewed quite a few Plantagenet wines over the years, the most recent being a vertical of their Shiraz (viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15597&p=142891&hilit=plantagenet#p142891). Tonight, a Cabernet got the nod.

Deep crimson purple in colour. A rich nose of blackcurrant syrup, cedary oak, mocha / dark chocolate, coffee grounds and developed red fruits. The palate has prominent acid, fruit flooding the palate along with a little rich chocolate and good tannic grip. The wine is medium to full bodied, and a reasonably long finish.

Not quite in balance, but enjoyable nonetheless. Probably not going to get better though, so drink up soon.

[Michael McNally]

Thanks Allan

Recently bought 6 of these on special and was wondering if they would be approachable or not. Sounds like I need to get cracking!

Cheers

Michael

[Mahmoud Ali]

I've always thought that a decent cabernet needed at least a decade in the cellar. Reading your notes this relatively young wine seems to have plenty of fruit, tannic grip, and appears to have the acidity to carry it forward. As a fairly reputable producer with some track record, I sense that perhaps this wine has some way to go and that the lack of "balance" you refer to may just be a dumb or awkward phase.

Mahmoud.

[Michael McNally]

Regular forumites will realise I've reviewed quite a few Plantagenet wines over the years, the most recent being a vertical of their Shiraz (viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15597&p=142891&hilit=plantagenet#p142891). Tonight, a Cabernet got the nod.

Deep crimson purple in colour. A rich nose of blackcurrant syrup, cedary oak, mocha / dark chocolate, coffee grounds and developed red fruits. The palate has prominent acid, fruit flooding the palate along with a little rich chocolate and good tannic grip. The wine is medium to full bodied, and a reasonably long finish.

Not quite in balance, but enjoyable nonetheless. Probably not going to get better though, so drink up soon.

G'day Allan

Have a bottle of this open tonight. Nice wine. Not a lot of purple in mine but the nose certainly has the blackcurrant/cassis, the coffee/mocha notes and I get quite a lot of tobacco, but not a lot of red fruit. Agree about the good acid, flooding fruit and grip. Like the finish too. The only major thing I don't understand is why you say the wine is not in balance? How do you mean? Unfair, given mine is in front of me and you tasted yours a while ago.

I don't disagree that the wine is not going to get any better over the long term. Will be drinking mine sooner rather than later.

Cheers

Michael

[Waiters Friend]

Regular forumites will realise I've reviewed quite a few Plantagenet wines over the years, the most recent being a vertical of their Shiraz (viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15597&p=142891&hilit=plantagenet#p142891). Tonight, a Cabernet got the nod.

Deep crimson purple in colour. A rich nose of blackcurrant syrup, cedary oak, mocha / dark chocolate, coffee grounds and developed red fruits. The palate has prominent acid, fruit flooding the palate along with a little rich chocolate and good tannic grip. The wine is medium to full bodied, and a reasonably long finish.

Not quite in balance, but enjoyable nonetheless. Probably not going to get better though, so drink up soon.

G'day Allan

Have a bottle of this open tonight. Nice wine. Not a lot of purple in mine but the nose certainly has the blackcurrant/cassis, the coffee/mocha notes and I get quite a lot of tobacco, but not a lot of red fruit. Agree about the good acid, flooding fruit and grip. Like the finish too. The only major thing I don't understand is why you say the wine is not in balance? How do you mean? Unfair, given mine is in front of me and you tasted yours a while ago.

I don't disagree that the wine is not going to get any better over the long term. Will be drinking mine sooner rather than later.

Cheers

Michael

G'day Michael

I tasted mine a week and a half ago. The 'not in balance' comment was only a moderate criticism, and reflected my sense of the wine at the time. We did finish the bottle, however Maybe I should have said "slightly unbalanced" given all of the positive things I said about the wine.

Regardless, I'm glad you enjoyed yours, and we agree that we should drink them sooner rather than later.

Cheers
Allan

[Mahmoud Ali]

Oops, pressed the wrong button.