One phrase getting a workout this week? 'It's cold!' While Brisbane's winter season can be all too short most years, we can't pretend we don't adore it for one reason in particular; the chance to pop open some exceptional winter-warming reds and share them with you all!
This Saturday (14th) June will present that very opportunity - come by between 12 and 2pm, and let these ten bold, structured and fruit-intensive expressions unfurl before you. We hit some truly great pieces of value in the fan-favourite blend from Balnaves (Coonawarra), and the Gentlemanfrom Teusner (Barossa), before exploring Australia further with Mount Mary's Réflexion blend (only produced in very specific years with a particular set of ideal conditions), Forest Hill's (Mount Barker, WA) outstanding 'Block 5', and the iconic Moss Wood estate Cabernet Sauvignon (the latest 2022 release).
With such a Cabernet-intensive tasting, we'd be remiss not to include some of the powerhouse efforts coming out of California, as well as some Bordeaux! We'll have the lush 'Double Diamond' label from Schrader, and the textural black-fruited textural Mount Veeder (both from Napa Valley) for the USA side, and a Pessac-Léognan, Saint-Julien, and the awesome second-vin label from Haut Brion; the 'Le Clarence'!
Needless to say, we're quite pleased how this lineup has turned out... hope to see you at the tasting table come Saturday!
Cabernet Sauvignon - A Collection of Value & Premium Choices
Specials and Tasting
Saturday 14th June (12 to 2pm)
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Balnaves 'The Blend' 2020 -
$23 per bottle
"Fruit from 45-year-old vines on the Paulownia and Balnaves Old Shiraz blocks; matured in large format French oak (48% new) for nine months. Elevated pepper spice and floral notes make for an attractive introduction. Ripe, red berried fruit flavours rush straight up in support, though a tension to both the acidity and tannin makes all this exuberance feel controlled. This is a medium-bodied wine that's been turned out impeccably – it will drink well both young and with some years on it." - 94 Points (Special Value), Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion
Teusner 'The Gentleman' Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 -
$25 on special this week; $28 RRP
"A deep crimson, cassis-rich Barossa cabernet sauvignon with thick-shouldered blackberry and black cherry fruits that presents great value for money and plush varietal drinking. Not much on the herbaceous side here. It's more a slow-moving freight train of cassis and kirsch, packed with spice, licorice and subtle dried herb and cedar notes, with a sense of freshness and a cloud of powdery tannins on the way out." - 92 Points (Special Value), Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Mount Mary Réflexion Cabernets 2023 -
$58 on special this week; $65 RRP
// 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot.
"Our Réflexion wines are produced from younger vines at Mount Mary. The wines produced change from year to year, depending on the development and performance of each block in any given year." - Producer Notes
Forest Hill Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 -
$67 on special this week; $75 RRP
"There’s a haunting beauty to this wine. Pure dark cherry, cassis with violet florals, understated light minty notes, dashes of white pepper, clove, a bit of turned earth and tobacco here, too. The wine is so very compact, tannins so very fine and high quality, the length of the wine exceptional, persistent in faint grip, spice, earth and blue/black fruit characters. The compact nature of the wine coupled to its refreshment factor is just outstanding. Unreal.” - 96 Points (Special Value), Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
Château Haut-Bergey Pessac-Léognan 2022 -
$95 on special this week; $109 RRP
// 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec
"A medium-to full-bodied red with beautiful dark and blue fruit and an array of fine grained, silky tannins. Refined and lingering. Very attractive and textural. From biodynamically grown grapes." - 94-95 Points, James Suckling
Mount Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 -
$102 on special this week; $115 RRP
"‘Les Referts’, located at the bottom of the village of Puligny-Montrachet, on the edge of Meursault, is a great classic of the appellation. Extending over a 0.37-hectare parcel within a larger 5-hectare area, this appellation is the signature of an exceptional terroir. The compact marly soils impart a pronounced minerality and remarkable tension. This wine is an unmissable appellation for connoisseurs, due to its authenticity and depth stemming from the soil’s ability to withstand drought. The seductive nose is both subtle and bewitching, combining scents of citrus and exotic fruit harmoniously with light toasty notes. Fresh almond-like sweetness emerges on the palate, balanced with a subtle mineral tension. This remarkable wine stands out for its elegance and lingering aromas." - Producer Notes
Château Langoa Barton Saint-Julien 2020 -
$120 on special this week; $139 RRP
// 53.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 8.5% Cabernet Franc
"Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2020 Chateau Langoa Barton comes from a mix of different sites in Saint-Julien, which makes it a great representation of the vintage and appellation. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue to go with a beautiful bouquet of red and black cherries, currants, leafy tobacco, and cedar pencil, with a touch of damp earth that emerges with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has plenty of mid-palate depth and richness, velvety tannins, and a great finish. This plush, up-front, expansive, wonderfully textured Saint-Julien will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and cruise for two decades. It's the finest example from this chateau I've tasted. Bravo! Best After 2026." - 95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
Schrader Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 -
$128 on special this week; $145 RRP
"100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 54% new French oak and 46% second-use Schrader Darnajou French oak. The Oakville Cabernet from Double Diamond delivers greater power and a more intense structure than Proprietary Red. It is a slightly more serious wine with a brooding, inky character that commands attention. The tannins are long and finely grained, coating the palate in broad, luxurious strokes. This lush, full-bodied wine offers a silky texture and a plethora of blackberry fruit underpinned by ironstone minerality. Aromatic notes of sweet fennel, sage, and a hint of tarragon intertwine with black liquorice, leading to a long finish accented by fine cigar box and toasted cedarwood nuances. Enjoy now, or cellar to reveal even greater depth over the next decade." - 95 Points, Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 -
$139 on special this week; $155 RRP
"This stunning Margaret River Cabernet has 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot included. The team talk of some of the difficulties encountered by Margaret River wineries during this year, but everything is relative and a difficult vintage here seems to be the dream of many other regions. It was a year that finished extremely well, though, with a longer than average ripening period. Yields were down but in the end, some stellar fruit was harvested. Maturation was in French oak, 16% new, for around seventeen months" - 98 Points, Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot
"Medium deep crimson. Attractive cassis, truffle, vanilla aromas with hints of mocha/ cedar. Inky deep with fresh blackcurrant vanilla, espresso flavours, fine grainy tannins and well-integrated vanilla/ marzipan notes. Finishes chalky and long with chinotto and aniseed notes. A classic Moss Wood vintage with lovely richness, definition and mineral length. Should last the distance. A lovely 50th anniversary wine." - 97 Points, Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal
Chateau Haut Brion 'Le Clarence de Haut Brion' 2020 -
$425 on special this week; $495 RRP
"The second wine of Château Haut-Brion, the 2020 Le Clarence De Haut-Brion is certainly a gem and well worth seeking out. Offering loads of red cherry and currant-like fruit, this medium to full-bodied, concentrated beauty has lots of graphite, fresh stone, and tobacco aromatics, beautiful mid-palate depth, outstanding length, and ripe, polished tannins. It has everything you look for from this region, all in a character-filled, up-front, undeniably delicious style that should evolve gracefully for over two decades." - 92-94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
If you wish to buy any of these wines, please use the links above
Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions.
// Prices valid until Thursday the 19th of June