2016 Bin 169

Brilliant violet color. Intense red and dark berry liqueur, licorice, cigar box and candied rose aromas are sharpened by a vibrant mineral overtone. Offers sappy blackcurrant, bitter cherry, cola and mocha flavors that slowly deepen and pick up a smoky nuance with air. A sweet chewing tobacco note adds a hint of earthiness that carries through a strikingly long, dark fruit-dominated finish that exhibits excellent focus and smooth, even tannins.

Leafy cassis notes mark the nose of the 2016 Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon. It's also floral yet dense and concentrated. Full-bodied and rich on the palate, it exudes class and balance at the same time. It's a super expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from one of Australia's premier regions for the grape variety, ending on lingering notes of cocoa, cassis and pencil shavings.

There’s a Coonawarra Shiraz - Bin 128 - and now there’s a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, a new form of red wine trial. It's matured for 13 months in new French oak hogsheads, bringing plenty of vanilla and cedar to the aromatic spectrum and highlighting the purity and vigour of the Cabernet fruit. This is full-bodied and richly concentrated, with flavours of red berry and cassis. While not minty, it has enough leaf and earth to show its varietal character, with pristine, finely textured richness complemented by distinct cooler climate Coonawarra elegance in a very sleek and juicy mould. Drink with Lamb cutlets or roast guinea fowl.