cabernet sauvignon Archives

Windance Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

A clear, deep, garnet wine with pale tears developing. Clean, medium (+) intensity nose, developing with black currant, cassis and dried herbs – vanilla evident from oak treatment.

Dry with medium+, firm tannins, medium acid and high alcohol (14.5%). A medium+ bodied wine with medium+ finish and medium flavour intensity of black fruit, black olive, cedar and bramble.

This is a very good wine (92 points), high-priced ($42) drinking well now, but will show improvement through to 2025.

This is a good example of a Margaret River cabernet, perhaps a little more balance between tannin and fruit would have made this a great wine. Will benefit from decanting.

Mulderbosch “Faithful Hound” 2011

A clear, deep, ruby wine with a few thick legs developing. Medium+ intensity nose clean and developing with a cassis, black currant leaf, hint of liquorice and cedar.

Dry on the palate with medium+ acid, alcohol (14%) and high chalky tannins. Full bodied, with medium+ flavour and long finish. The palate is a little overweight in acid and tannin but blackberry, mulberry fruits evident with vanilla and hint of spice (pepper?).

This is a very good wine (92 points), a Cabernet Franc dominated Bordeaux blend (a nod to Fronsac perhaps?) that punches about its mid-priced category (ZAR 150 but around AUD 22 locally). Can drink it now but it has the potential for aging 5 to 10 years.

Backsberg “Klein Babylonstoren” 2013

A clear, deep, purple wine. A medium intensity nose clean and developing with a black fruit, cassis, hint of smokiness and dried herbs.

Dry on the palate with medium+ acid, alcohol (14%) and tannins. Medium+ body, flavour and finish. So pretty consistent in that medium+ range. I thought that the acid slightly overpowered the balance of the wine (youth?) and the alcohol was clearly evident in the finish. Blackberry through and through, perhaps a hint of dark chocolate.

This is a good wine (90 points) that integrates the Bordeaux varietals well and offers value for money in the mid-priced range (ZAR 119 but around AUD 25 locally). Can drink it now but it has the potential for aging 10 to 15 years.

Kalleske “Merchant” Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

A clear, deep, purple wine with thin pink legs evident. On the nose clean and developing with a medium+ intensity of black fruits – blackcurrant, blackberry – and hints of black olive and aniseed. Some vanilla suggesting judicious oak treatment.

A dry wine with high, firm tannins with structure for aging. Medium+ acidity with a medium+ body and finish. Medium+ alcohol (13.5%) with juicy blackcurrant and black cherry on the palate.

This is an outstanding wine (93 points) that punches above its mid-priced category. Let the wine breath a bit before drinking and enjoy it now but it has the potential for aging 10 to 15 years.