2018 The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Full bottle 1,494 g. Sourced from their own vineyards with old Shiraz vines in Barossa particularly (planted 1971 and 1901) as well as the Coonawarra Cab, 80% of which is from Ming D block planted in 1992. Aged in barriques from the Yalumba cooper. Sixth release of The Caley. Bottled 4 March 2020. I'm still trying to get to grips with this wine, I'm afraid. I know it's a noble effort at recreating Australia's speciality Cab/Shiraz blends, but for me it's neither one thing nor the other. Maybe as I taste really mature examples, I'll get it. But for now, I'm still a bit in the wilderness. The Octavius seems so much mellower. But it certainly has the structure of a fine Coonawarra Cab ... and there's the Barossa Shiraz filling in the holes. I know this is a famous vintage and I hope I live long enough to see it in its prime! Clean, spearmint finish. (JR)

The fruit for the 2018 The Caley Cabernet & Shiraz comes from Coonawarra and Barossa. The Cabernet Sauvignon (80% of the blend) is sourced from four blocks within the same estate-owned Coonawarra vineyard, and within that are two clones. The Shiraz (20% of the blend) is a combination of Eden Valley (15%) and Barossa fruit (5%). All handpicked and destemmed, the fruit parcels are kept separate in the winery and fermented wild in a selection of fermenters. It spent 10 days on the skins, then was pressed off to Yalumba-coopered barrels (in the main) and matured in a total of 38% new oak. It offers dusted blood plums, dark raspberry, cocoa nibs and licorice on the nose. It is composed and restrained, with a hint of toasted oak shining through the abundant fruit. In the mouth, the fruit is abundant and purple, shaped by a casket of firm tannins that assist in the flow of wine over the tongue. It is cohesive, powerful and resplendent. This is a very smart wine, one with pleasure built into its core. This is drinking beautifully now; it has polish and gloss, but it is savory (peppered roast beef crust), which makes it a little chewy and balances the fruit. This is an exciting wine, one that speaks of the classic Australian blend of "Cab Shiraz" in a respectful way, but it cannot hide its polish and modernity. Long lived plus. 300 dozen made, 14% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax.