Cullen Cabernet Merlot 1996
Margaret River, Western Australia. Cabernet sauvignon (75), Merlot (20), Cabernet franc (5). 13.5%. Cork. Source: cellar.
With less than a handful of sleeps till Christmas, my siblings and in-laws are converging. It's a great excuse to open some of the the more precious bottles in my cellar. Surely great wine is even better when shared. . .
The Cullen is a beautiful wine.
Dark and abundantly scented, this is complex and complete. To begin there is ripe blackcurrant and eucalyptus, later soy, dark chocolate and freshly turned earth. Inviting and soft, with a trace of sweetness to complement the sour edge, spicy oak and the fine, mouth tessellating, tannins.
Excellent.
94.
Now - 2012+
Also tried was the Majella The Malleea 1998. (Coonawarra, Cabernet sauvignon and shiraz, 14%, Cork, Source = brother in law). Tasted blind, I eventually settled on Coonawarra, on account of the mint, sap and blackcurrant. It was clearly a wine of pedigree and cost, again it was quite sweet (sweeter than the Cullen and certainly sweeter than anything from Bordeaux), with lovely meaty tannins and a dark chocolate finish. Very good - excellent. 92. Now - 2011.
technorati tags: wine, australian wine
2 comments:
"Great wine is even better when shared..." - even with the in-laws? :) Reading your note made me think of the '03 Vasse Felix I have tasted and wonder if it could also go 12 years...too bad I drank it all. Impressive pick up on the appellation blinded...
Joe,
It was my brother in law, who has a cellar full of old Aussie wine, so it was not too hard!
Post a Comment