Ranked #23 of 42 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra
90/100
4 Stars
Huon Hooke
Deep red/purple colour. There are machine oil nuances (from oak?), oyster-shell and pepper notes among the red and dark berry aromas, and the palate has been hit heavily with oak. The tannins are tight and firm, grippy and a tad oaky on the finish and aftertaste. Some tannin bitterness. It's hard work at this stage. It's unsure if age will pull it through, but track record says 'yes'.
Tasted: 20/04/2016
Drink: 2020 to 2038
93 Points James Halliday
Part completed fermentation in French oak, part post-ferment maceration, matured in French hogsheads (35% new) and 22% new and used American oak. Coonawarra mulberry joins with cassis, oak (the latter with a mix of cedar and vanilla ex the cocktail approach) and tannins to provide a strongly textured and structured palate with time on its side. Drink to 2030.
James Halliday. June, 2021