A glorious rendition offering both opulence and structure; the immensely complex bouquet shows cassis, tobacco, cedary oak, potpourri, and dark chocolate notes, leading to a sumptuous palate offering outstanding concentration and depth. It's superbly composed and expressed with richness and complexity, wonderfully framed by loads of chalky tannins, leading to an irresistible, captivating finish. At its best: now to 2040. $170.00. May 2026.

Deep inky purple with a vibrant crimson rim, showing outstanding concentration and youthful power. The nose is powerful and immaculately polished, opening with intense cassis, blackberry and dark plum layered with cedar, graphite, tobacco leaf and refined oak complexity. On the palate this is full-bodied and commanding. Dense black fruit drives the entry before firm, beautifully integrated tannins shape the wine into a focused and exceptionally long frame. Layers of cocoa, dried herbs and savoury oak unfold with precision through the mid- palate. Despite its undeniable power, the wine remains composed and balanced, finishing endlessly long with lingering cassis, graphite and earthy complexity. A monumental Cabernet Sauvignon showing amazing freshness for a V2020.
Vino Masters Score: 96 / 100 ★★★★★ Monumental, refined and cellar-worthy

Nearly 95% of this wine was sourced from Margaret River, with the remainder from McLaren Vale. The 2020 vintage in Margaret River was short and sharp but produced wines of tremendous concentration and intensity, and that's the case here. Blackcurrant, dark chocolate, black olive, and a slight bay-leaf influence provide an engaging aromatic opening. The palate is built on powerful fruit intensity and deep, dark black fruits, with plenty of oak and some firmish tannins for support. There is a driving intensity here, in a wine that will certainly evolve with time.

There’s no denying this is polished and richly flavoured with mulberries and blackberries, cassis and some tangy/tart pomegranate and loads of new oak – cedary sweet and spicy. The persuasive tannins, plenty of them, flood the full-bodied palate. In a way it’s stately and so far removed from the elegance Margaret River achieves seemingly effortlessly with this variety.

Fruit is from Margaret River 95%, McLaren Vale 5%. Blackcurrant, cassis and steeped cherries in dark tea. This is showing some of its softer and more undulating side with a mellow turned earth, dark cocoa nib and carob richness. Yes it is still quite bold and assured with dense oak spice, clove and vanilla and the kind of sandalwood one finds in potpourri boxes. However the tamarind brightness and citrus oils are beginning to unfurl here too. If you have come this far, it might be with worth cellaring this further for another 5-8 years but if drinking now go for slow cooked and fibrous meats with rich gravy. 95 Points