This month, we met at Mayfair Lane in West Perth. The brief was Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2018 vintage. These could be from anywhere in the world, but being a W.A. based wine group, I’m not surprised that all of the wines were Australian. There were 11 wines in total, and all were 100% Cabernet Sauvignon – well, within the limits of Australian labelling laws
They were tasted in random order, and masked. Howard Park Leston Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Margaret River): Crimson / purple colour. There’s blackberry, mocha, a little eucalypt, violets, cedary oak, tapenade, bacon and vanilla on the nose. The palate shows red and dark berries, chalky tannins integrating well, prominent acidity, and has some herbal or vegetal notes, green capsicum, warm black olives, bay leaf and mulberry jam. Some tasters noted a hollow mid-palate. Medium finish.
Leeuwin Estate Prelude Cabernet Sauvignon 2018: Crimson colour with a pale rim. Graphite, blackberry, red capsicum, bramble and prominent oak on the nose. More pencil shavings on the palate, with red and dark berries, a little black pepper, and a touch of leather. There’s supportive acid, slightly drying tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Faber Vineyard Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon 2018: Crimson colour. Juicy ripe dark berries on the nose, with vanilla, eucalypt/mint and mulberry. The ripe fruit is upfront on the palate as well – some tasters described it as jubey and bright. There’s fine but grippy tannins and a velvety mouthfeel. Long finish and well regarded by the group.
Mitolo ‘Serpico’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (McLaren Vale): Crimson colour. Cedary oak, bay leaf, mint, milk chocolate (one taster specified Lindt brand) and (initially) some beef stock on the nose. The palate shows spearmint and chocolate, blackberry, black tea, cocoa powder and developed fruits,. Tannins are integrated but still showing some grip, and acid is soft. Long finish and well regarded by the group.
Carpe Diem Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Margaret River): Purple with a lighter rim. Unfortunately affected by brett, and the descriptors were skewed by this. We’ll skip over this one.
Plantagenet ‘Aquitaine’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Great Southern): Purple colour. Blackcurrant, cassis, eucalypt and mocha on the dusty nose, with graphite, and a couple of tasters debated tomato resin (rather than leaf). There’s raspberry, blueberry and mint on the palate, with some cocoa powder and herbs. Tannins are full and drying, and there’s freshening acid. It’s young and lively, with a medium to long finish. Well regarded.
Domaine Naturaliste ‘Morus’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Margaret River): Mulberry, baking spices, briny olives, nutmeg, red and black fruits, and some eucalypt on the nose. Mulberry and eucalypt also on the palate, and red fruits (cranberry, cherry). Acid is slightly tart, and tannins are chalky. Medium bodied and length and well regarded.
Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Coonawarra): Dark fruits on the nose, with cinnamon, nutmeg, cassis and baking spices on the nose. The fruit is fading somewhat on the palate. There’s bacon fat, spiky tannins and the acid is prominent. Medium finish.
Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Margaret River): Crimson purple in colour. Blackcurrant, cassis, mint, graphite, cocoa powder, vanilla, caramel, red fruits and toasty oak on the nose. The palate shows plush black fruits, graphite, cocoa powder, bay leaf, dried cranberry (one taster was insisted that it was ‘dried) and dark chocolate (80%, in fact). Freshening acid, fine drying tannins and a medium to long finish.
Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Coonawarra): The original Black Label. Crimson purple in colour. Red and black fruits, mocha, iodine, balsamic glaze make up what was a modest nose. The red and dark fruits emerge strongly on the palate, with some unripe raspberry, mint, and mocha. High acid, integrated tannins and medium to long finish. Well regarded by the group.
Evans and Tate Redbrook Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Margaret River): Crimson colour. Mulberry, cigar box and cedar on the nose. Some tasters noted ‘Cherry Ripe’. The palate is somewhat concentrated, and shows eucalypt, red fruits, cocoa, with the fruit overshadowed by the acid. The chalky tannins are quite well integrated, and the wine finishes moderately long. Well regarded.
Wine of the night was the Faber Vineyard Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 by a considerable margin.
Many thanks to the team at Mayfair Lane (especially for their lamb rump special that evening) and to all of those that contributed to the evening.
Cheers
Allan