Australian Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Retrospective – 7 October 2026

[Waiters Friend]

G‘day

I recently hosted a retrospective tasting of Australian cabernet sauvignons from the 2016 vintage. The event was held at Threecoins and Sons restaurant in Mount Lawley, and the Italian menu went perfectly with the range of wines tasted. Katia and her team looked after us very well indeed.
As the title says, all of the wines were Australian cabernets, from different regions and all from the 2016 vintage. Australian labelling laws require that, to be labelled Cabernet Sauvignon, at least 85% of the wine must be Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s therefore likely that some of the wines in the line-up contain minor amount of other grapes, and this is alluded to in some of the tasting observations.

The identity of each wine was known on pouring, and all of the wines were double-decanted about 3 hours before service.

Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Coonawarra, S.A.): Deep purple in colour. The nose is dusty, with cocoa powder, mint, blackberry, mocha, thyme, tapenade and tomato leaf. The palate is savoury and developed, with earthy notes, graphite, red fruit (including cranberry) possibly fading a little in relation to the slightly dominating acid. Moderate tannins and medium bodied. At or slightly past its peak.

John Kosovich Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Pemberton, W.A.). Purple colour. A little leaner and more delicate than other wines in this tasting, with violets, black and blue berries, graphite, olives and chocolate on the nose. The palate has lively mulberry and blackberries, and milk chocolate. One taster noted damp soil, while another noted fly spray. There’s some spices and some oregano, and moderate tannic grip. Good supporting acid and a medium finish. There’s a noticeable ‘doughnut’ effect, which happens in some straight cabernet wines-the middle palate is lacking.

Flametree Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Margaret River, W.A.): Deep purple colour. The dusty nose opens with graphite, blackcurrant, red fruits, mocha / choc, eucalypt and one taster noted crushed mulberry leaf. The palate carries fair amount of fruit sweetness, with blackberry and red berries, noticeable acid and dusty grippy tannins. This is denser than previous wines, and has a medium to long finish. Well regarded by the group.

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Tahbilk ‘Eric Stevens Purbrick’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Nagambie Lakes, Vic): Deep purple colour. Red and black berry fruits, maybe a little blueberry as well, with tomato leaf, rosemary, sage and oregano. The fruits flow generously through the almost concentrated palate, with a blend of plums, blackberry, and red berries. There’s some spices as well, especially nutmeg. Tannins are well integrated, there’s some tannic grip, and a long finish (one taster noted that the acid as driving the finish). Medium bodied, with lots of time ahead of it. Well regarded by the group.

Higher Plane Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Margaret River, W.A.): This is part of the juniper Estate portfolio, and I think has now morphed into their Cornerstone Karridale Cabernet Sauvignon. Purple colour. There are bright red and black berries on the nose, with eucalypt, tomato leaf, herbs (oregano, rosemary, sage), and some cedary oak. The palate was described as ‘pretty’ with ripe, bright red and dark berries and some vanilla. Tannins are fine and a little prickly, there’s fresh acid, and a medium to long finish. The fruit is falling away ever so slightly, so this is at or just past its peak.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate ‘Black Label’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Coonawarra, S.A.).Deep purple in colour, dark and brooding. A moderate nose with mint, cedar, and red fruits dominating. The palate shows light bright red fruits and vanillan oak. There’s juicy acidity and integrating tannins, leading to a long finish. This is too young, and some tasters considered it is in a ‘dumb’ phase. I’ve noted in some other Black Labels that they need 10 or more years before opening.

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Whicher Ridge ‘Elevation’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Geographe, W.A.): Deep purple. A complex nose, with eucalypt, cocoa, blackberries, red fruits, choc/mocha, cedar, and baking spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg). The palate is fruit forward, with more blackberries, spices, red berries, red cherries and chocolate. One taster noted meaty notes, like sorpresa. There’s some texture /viscosity on the tongue. Tannins are integrated, and acid is soft. Medium to long finish and well regarded by the group.

Majella Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Coonawarra, S.A.): Deep purple in colour. A muted (by comparison) nose, with graphite, mint, clean red and black berries, mocha and a little earth or humus. One taster noted pine needles. The palate has cocoa and chocolate, bright red fruits, blackcurrant and more earth. There’s a slight viscosity, fine drying tannins, and noticeable acid. Medium bodied and perhaps opened too young.

Maxwell ‘Lime Cave’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (McLaren Vale, S.A.): Deep purple in colour. The nose shows eucalypt / mint, developing red berries, blackberry, liquorice, cedar / vanilla, violets, coffee / toffee and is quite spiced. The berry flavours flow through the palate, with considerable fruit sweetness. Tannins are slippery, fine and integrating, and acid keep the wine fresh. Long finish and well regarded by the group.

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Faber Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Frankland River W.A.): Deep purple in colour. Eucalypt /mint on the nose, with cedary oak, a little mocha, cocoa, dark berries, plums, and mulberries. There’s a touch of aniseed as well. The palate show ripe dark berries, mulberries brambles and plums. There’s soft acidity (with one taster noting similarity to lemon juice), fully integrated tannins and slight viscosity. Long finish and probably at its peak. Well regarded by the group.

Parker ‘Terra Rossa’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Coonawarra, S.A.): Deep purple in colour. The nose has Italian dried herbs alongside mint, gum leaf, vanilla, blackberry and bay leaf. The palate has more blackberry, with modest red fruits, dark chocolate, more bay leaf, anise and herbs. Balanced and elegant, with integrated tannins and soft juicy acid. Medium bodied and length.

Clarendon Hills ‘Brookman’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Blewett Springs, S.A.): Deep purple in colour. Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Coonawarra, S.A.): Deep purple in colour. Slightly vegetal, with jammy dark and red fruits, and some vanilla. Most tasters noted that there was a fault with the wine, although not corked (brett?). There’s some concentrated fruit underneath, with soft acid and integrated tannins. Long finish and a shame about the brett.

Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Margaret River, W.A.): 50% new French oak. Purple in colour. A dusty, complex nose, with violets, mulberry, eucalypt, blackberry, chocolate, vanilla, black olive and tomato leaf. The palate is concentrated, with developed red and black fruits, more tomato leaf. Juicy acidity provides freshness, and the wine is medium bodied with good length.

(Katia also showed me a sample of the Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, which had been opened that day. Softer than the 2016, with plums, capsicum and tomato leaf, and I preferred the 2016.)

Howard Park ‘Abercrombie’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Margaret River, W.A.). Cork closure, and unfiltered. Very slightly vegetal, with mint, graphite and tobacco alongside blackberry and mulberry. There’s more dark berries on the palate, with milk chocolate. Tannins are drying and integrating, with a good line of acid, and a long finish. This can be compared to …..

Howard Park ‘Abercrombie’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Margaret River, W.A.). Includes 6% Great Southern fruit and from a different batch / bottling than the previous wine. . Screwcap closure. Graphite, blackcurrant and cocoa on the nose, which is fresher than the previous wine. The palate is juicy and less developed, with dusty grippy tannins and greater intensity. Long finish.


It was useful to benchmark wines from around the country, given the W.A. centric palates that we are likely to have. Wine of the night was the Tahbilk ‘Eric Stevens Purbrick’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.

Many thanks to Katia and the team at Threecoins and Sons for hosting us.

Cheers
Allan

[Waiters Friend]

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[GraemeG]

Your note on the Tahbilk could be repeated virtually word-for-word to describe the 2018 vintage of the very same wine I'm sitting here drinking now.
I think brett is part of the Clarendon style, to be honest...
I agree with the general idea that they're (almost) all too young. I had a dinner the other night on almost the same these, and nearly all the reds were clearly in need of more time.