Ranked #1 of 16 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec Merlot Petit Verdot from Yarra Valley
97/100
5 Stars
Huon Hooke
Deep, bright red/purple colour and a beautifully fresh and yet already complex perfume, violets and blueberries to the fore, the palate very bright, vibrant and fruit-driven yet totally serious in its intent. Lovely balance and terrific length, as well as the kind of improbable elegance that means it is a pleasure to drink young. An outstanding wine which needs cellaring and will really sing when given some more time.
Tasted: 16/05/2018
Drink: 2020 to 2046
97 Points James Halliday
66% cabernet sauvignon, 16% merlot, 15% malbec, 3% petit verdot, hand-picked and berry-sorted, the cabernet crushed, the other varieties whole-berry fermented in half-tonne open fermenters, hand-plunged twice-daily, some of the cabernet with extended post-ferment maceration, matured separately in French oak (40% new) for 15 months. Profoundly juicy and rich, yet kept under tight control by the web of ripe tannins, oak part of the structure and texture but not flavour per se. It is a wine that you can sit with for a prolonged examination and discussion, and still not cover all its characteristics or ask all the questions. Drink to 2041.
Source: James Halliday.