The Auswine Forum

NOBLEROTTERSSYDNEY - WEST AUSTRALIAN REDS - Glass Brasserie, Sydney (3/09/2025)

West Australian cabernet night. Turned out to be almost entirely Margaret River in the end. Finally the old green olive asparagus flavour so indicative of Margaret River (with only a few notable exceptions) seems condemned to dustbin of history, or else we just got lucky tonight. Even the Leeuwin wasn’t green, which was a real eye-opener!

• NV J-M Seleque Champagne Solessence Extra Brut - France, Champagne
  [Gordon] Chard/PM/PN in 50/40/10 ratio. Fruity nose rather than yeasty; sweet mango aromas. Bright yellow fruit on the palate, light/medium weight, dry/crisp sort of texture, minimal lees character, quite large, vigorous bubbles. Even palate, medium length finish. Tidy wine. NR (flawed)
• 2023 Flametree Chardonnay S.R.S Wallcliffe - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
  {screwcap} [Guest - Dan] Youthful nose; sulphur, matchstick and oak. Lots of oak! Palate much less splintery though despite some sweet cedar; there’s grapefruit too. Full-bodied, medium acid, even tongue presence, medium length finish. Needs more time; five years at least. Seems to have all the goods.
• 2016 Fermoy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
  {screwcap, 14%} [Geoffrey] Lighter garnet; developing nose of tapenade, olive, currant. Fleshing out on the palate, with gentle texture, low/medium acid, low/medium powdery tannins. Medium weight textbook new world cabernet, no green here. Medium length finish and ready to drink. It’s not hugely complex, but at the perfect age and balance.
• 2022 Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
  {screwcap, 14%} [Glenn] More obviously young, with darker garnet colour. Black olive and blackberry nose – nicely varietal, although quite restrained, even muted. Surprisingly approachable palate of mostly blackberry fruit, low/medium chalky tannins, and medium acid. Medium weight, too, and a pleasant medium length finish. I think for the shorter term, given the gentle structure, but should stay lovely up to a decade old.
• 2018 Bakkheia Cabernet Sauvignon Command - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Geographe
  {screwcap, 14.4%} [Graeme] Lawyerly letters from Elderton forced the dropping of the proposed ‘Command’ name after the 750 bottles were labelled, so the black felt pen is called into action. Bottle 712 offers developing pure cassis and currant aromas, with oak very much the background. Medium weight palate, very intense though, with polished blue and black fruit, medium dusty tannins, medium acid. Concentrated, even palate, balance, with a medium/long finish. Drink now or keep another decade.
• 2017 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
  {screwcap, 14.5%} [Stephen] Developing nose; blackberries and a faint cabernet leafiness. Very friendly though. Nicely maturing palate, with blackberry flavours, low/medium fine powdery tannins, medium acidity. Medium finish, even palate. Solidly in drinking window, and good for another five years.
• 2015 Leeuwin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Art Series - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
  {screwcap, 13.5%} [DavidH] Evolving. Olive, herb leaf, basil, currant, but all properly varietal and not unripe like so many of last century’s vintages. Fruit-driven presence on the palate, low/medium acid, low/medium chalky tannins. Terrific balance and evenness on tongue; medium weight with a medium length finish and should drink well for another five years easy. Impressive.
• 2012 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
  {screwcap, 14%} [DavidM] Developing wine with plenty of plush, polish curranty fruit and a hint of vanilla. Very much black-fruited on the palate. Medium/full in weight, but always elegant and balanced, with medium acid and medium chalky tannins. Medium/long finish. Really excellent, no sign of falling over at all, and will likely still improve.
• 2023 Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon Filius - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
  {screwcap} [DavidL - guest] Baked red fruit, raw and lacking varietal character. Low acid, minimal tannin, medium weight. Coarse and simple. Bistro stuff. Why is this here?
• 2011 Woodlands Cabernet Sauvignon Alex - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
  {screwcap, 13.5%} [Gordon] Beautiful nose, surprisingly primary, of black jam and cabernet fruit. Medium weight, with softening structure of medium acid and low/medium powdery tannins. Avoids too much oak, heat, or sweetness, but it’s the most new-world of the cabernets on offer here. I’d call this fully mature; it’s very seductive but just misses the interest of the Moss Wood. Drink soon – I doubt there’s improvement to come, but it will certainly hold plenty of years.
• 2021 Mount Horrocks Riesling Cordon Cut - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley
  {375ml, screwcap, 11.8%} [Graeme] All I think of here is cut-open branches oozing sweet juice. Yellow/green tropical fruits, plus honey, beeswax, acidity; it’s medium sweet, medium weight, with a medium-long finish. A lively tang to the medium-length finish. Very fine stuff indeed, and with a decade ahead of it.
• 2024 Framingham Riesling Noble Riesling Botrytis Selection - Reserve - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
  {375ml, screwcap, 10%} [Graeme] Light nose and body, with syrupy lime flavours, and marginal botrytis influence. Medium sweet, with medium acidity, but doesn’t really seem like it has the balance for really long aging; the finish is short/medium length; it’s nice enough, but not special.

Must say I was pleasantly impressed by the standard of reds on offer, and the lack of underlying green which has been such a hallmark of MR reds for me over so many years. Moss Wood might just have taken the palm for me tonight; Woodlands and Leeuwin were excellent, and I was impressed with the very much unknown Bakkheia, and not just because it was mine (and my first tasting). Opening whites were excellent too.

Thanks for the notes.

I must say that I’ve enjoyed a lot of MR Cabernet and while I sometimes get the “green” sentiment, I can’t say it’s been a common experience. Maybe it’s just me.

That Leeuwin should go another 10+ EASY I’d have thought. Yes I’m showing my bias.

Thanks for the notes.

VinoEd wrote: ↑Wed Feb 18, 2026 5:09 pm ...and while I sometimes get the “green” sentiment, I can’t say it’s been a common experience. Maybe it’s just me.

My prejudices are lessening. Lots of 90s wines I used to call "British Racing Green in a bottle", but times are a-changing, I admit.