Cabernet Sauvignon Classics Treasure
Indulge in the quintessential red wine experience with the Cabernet Sauvignon Classics Mixed Pack Treasure. This curated collection showcases the bold, rich flavors and timeless elegance of the world's most celebrated Cabernet Sauvignon wines. From the structured and complex profiles of Tuscany to the velvety, fruit-driven expressions from Australia's renowned regions, this six-pack offers a journey through excellence. Each bottle has been selected for its exceptional quality, delivering layers of dark fruit, subtle oak, and refined tannins that make Cabernet Sauvignon the king of reds. Perfect for collectors, connoisseurs, or anyone looking to elevate their wine moments, this pack is your ticket to savoring the finest the varietal has to offer.
1 x Penley Estate Steyning Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 - Coonawarra, South Australia
95/100 Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
93/100 James Suckling
93/100 Wine Enthusiast
95/100 Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (2018 vintage)
92/100 Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review (2018 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2017 vintage)
92/100 Wine Enthusiast (2017 vintage)
Winemaker of the Year 2024 - Halliday Wine Companion
5 Stars - Halliday Wine Companion
Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion "This is the sweet, vibrant, energetic sister to the Chertsey. This is poised and exciting – a cool combination – and shows a sumptuous spread of ripe berry fruits and fresh exotic spices. Star anise, blood plums, blackberries, raspberries and fennel seeds are woven into the very fabric of the wine. Pretty gorgeous stuff, here."
James Suckling "A conventionally styled cabernet with complex aromas of dark berries and herbs, as well as olives and forest wood. The palate has bright blueberry and plum flavors, served up with a composed, groomed style."
Wine Enthusiast "An open-knit, modern expression of Coonawarra, this finds lovely balance between ripe, tangy berry fruit, dark chocolate and savory spice. It's more medium bodied than full but the mouthfeel is luscious, gently tugged by well-integrated, spicy and leathery tannins."
Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion "...evolve superbly, a hallmark of this majestic variety. But it is also approachable now, with the appealing freshness of bright dark fruit. It's lightly scented, delicately spiced with powdery tannins and finishes long. (2018 vintage)
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review "Medium to deep red colour with a purple tint. Tightly-wound blackcurrant fruit has a light minty leafiness and well measured cigar-boxy oak adds aromatic interest. This is a medium-weight mouthful, dry and quite austere in style, with tasty ripe fruit at its heart. At the moment it seems to fall away very slightly in intensity across the palate, but it has real length of flavour, and it should build apparent depth with age as its firm tannins melt away. A wine for the cellar." (2018 vintage)
James Suckling "A juicy and velvety red with plums, crushed berries and hints of spice. Full body, soft tannins and a flavorful finish." (2017 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "This is classic Coonawarra. Purple and red fruit mingle with earthy, herbal notes, along with a briney streak black olives and subtle charred vegetable notes at the back. The powerful palate is somewhat austere, wound by raspy tannins, but there's a lift of juicy currant and plum fruit alongside a flicker of oak in a supporting role." (2017 vintage)
The iconic Penley Estate arose from a combination of the prestigious Penfold and Tolley wine families. Winemaker Kate Goodman is regarded as one of Australia’s best contemporary winemakers, having worked at wineries in McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Great Western and Yarra Valley. Penley Estate estate shot to prominence in 1989 when Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon won Gold at the prestigious Adelaide Wine Show. Since that time the estate has grown significantly to over 80 hectares of vines and is run by 5th generation family members, sisters Ang & Bec Tolley.
Coonawarra is the most important wine region within the Limestone Coast zone of South Australia, credited with producing some of the best red wines in the country, and often described as Australia's most famous terroir. The region's prime Terra Rossa land, which has a reddish-brown topsoil over a thick layer of soft limestone, covers a narrow strip only 12 kilometres long. The reddish colour of the soil is caused by iron-oxide (rust) formations in the clay. Vineyards on this soil benefit from good drainage and nutrient-holding capacity.
Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot wines are made from two of the world's most famous and most widely grown wine grapes. The pair form the foundation of many of the great wines of Bordeaux, where this classic blend (often dubbed ""Bordeaux Blend"") is thought to have originated. For centuries, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have been the quintessential Bordeaux wine grapes, but their fame and popularity have now taken them far beyond the banks of the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde, to the furthest reaches of the wine world.
1 x Roccato Toscana "Super Tuscan" Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 - Tuscany, Italy
93/100 Wine Enthusiast
90/100 Wine Spectator
93/100 James Suckling (2019 vintage)
93/100 Raffaela Vecchione, Wine Critic (2019 vintage)
92/100 Wine Enthusiast (2019 vintage)
91/100 Falstaff (2019 vintage)
90/100 Robert Parker (2019 vintage)
Organic - currently undergoing certification
Wine Enthusiast "The nose is primarily savory, with notes of cured meat, topsoil and graphite, but undertones of sour cherries and tart berries provide some buzz. The ebb and flow of earthiness and astringency continues on the palate, while insistent tannins and lively acidity provide structure for that interplay."
James Suckling "Lots of blackcurrants, licorice and mint with some graphite on the nose. Medium to full body with integrated tannins and a very long, fresh finish. Rather open already. Another year or two will make it even better. Pure cabernet sauvignon." (2019 vintage)
Raffaela Vecchione, Wine Critic "...shows notes of black plums, blackberries, crushed tobacco, and coffee. Medium-bodied, well-extracted fine-grained tannins, and a moderately progressing finish." (2019 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "With a nose that's intensely woodsy, this Cabernet Sauvignon feels like a stroll through the woods on a winter's afternoon. Aromas start with roots, underbrush and soil and then pass into dark berries and bramble. The palate turns chocolaty and dense with blackberries and currants." (2019 vintage)
Falstaff "Medium ruby with brightening edges. Dark savoury nose, cedar, liquorice and some spruce resin. Rich palate notion, crisp acidity, clear dark berry fruit, well-integrated wood, subtle vanilla note, stout, a bit restrained on the finish." (2019 vintage)
Robert Parker "The full-bodied Rocca delle Macìe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Roccato (with 6,500 bottles released) shows sweet fruit, dark cherry, toasted almond and milky cinnamon cream. Fourteen months of barrique aging plays a big role in the intensity and textural support of this wine. It feels rich over the palate and thick around the middle."
Winemaker "Very intense ruby red tending to garnet with aging. Broad and persistent, with hints of red fruits and spices ranging from cacao, to vanilla to coffee. Warm and well balanced, with a dense network of tannins that well support and sustain the long aromatic
persistence.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Rocca delle Macìe was established in 1973, when film producer Italo Zingarelli – of Ettore Scola’s “We All Loved Each Other So Much” fame, and also the wildly popular series of films featuring comedy duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill (including “They Call Me Trinity” and “Trinity Is Still My Name”) – decided to realize his lifelong dream by acquiring the “Le Macìe” estate – extending across 93 hectares (230 acres) in all, of which only two were under vine – in order to create a winery in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone.
The estate now extends to more than 500 hectares (1250 acres) with, in total, more than 200 (500 acres) used as vineyards and 22 (54 acres) as olive groves, subdivided across the company’s six estates: Le Macìe, Sant’Alfonso, Fizzano e le Tavolelle in the Chianti Classico Area, in addition to the Campomaccione and Casa Maria estates in the Morellino di Scansano Area (Maremma).
The Chianti region in Italy's Tuscany wine growing region is split between Chianti and Chianti Classico. Accordingly, two separate DOCG designations apply to wines from the Chianti region: the Chianti Classico DOCG for the heartland of Chianti, and Chianti DOCG for all other Chianti regions. (In 1984, the Chianti region was promoted from DOC to DOCG - Italy’s highest classification - and in 1996, Chianti Classico - the historic heartland of the region - DOCG was created, which gave autonomy to that region. In the last 20 years, a consortium of Chianti Classico producers have researched new Sangiovese clones, replanted vineyards, updated cellar practices and generally made Chianti Classico DOCG a world-class appellation. Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 75% Sangiovese. In the 2014 edition of its annual compendium of wine ratings, Gambero Rosso noted that Chianti Classico DOCG wines were noteworthy for their “significant return to a more defined style, true to tradition.” The typical Chianti Classico wine is a ruby-red, Sangiovese-based wine with aromas of violets and cherries and a hint of earthy spice.
The Chianti DOCG designation covers wines from six Chianti sub-zones (Colli Pisane, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini, Montalbano and Rufina) as well as all other Chianti wines. The Chianti Classico DOCG is located in the very center of Tuscany, between Florence and Sienna."
"Tuscany is Italy's third most planted region (behind Sicily and Apulia) but it is eighth in terms of output, reflecting both the poor soil of Tuscany and deliberate efforts to limit yields and increase the quality in the wine. After Piedmont and the Veneto, Tuscany produces the third-highest volume of DOC/DOCG wines. More than 80% of the regions' production is in red wine, with the Sangiovese grape being Tuscany's' most prominent grape. Trebbiano is the leading white variety of the region.
The history of viticulture in Tuscany dates back to the Etruscans in the 8th century BC. From the fall of the Roman Empire and throughout the Middle Ages, monasteries were the main purveyors of wines in the region. As the aristocratic and merchant classes emerged, they inherited the share-cropping system of agriculture known as mezzadria. Many Tuscan landowners would turn their half of the grape harvest into wine that would be sold to merchants in Florence. Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Tuscany returned to the rule of the Habsburgs. Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Super Tuscan are Tuscany’s best known wines.
Sangiovese (or Nielluccio in Corsica), a dark-berried vine, is the most widely planted grape variety in Italy. Virtually synonymous with the red wines of Tuscany, and all the romanticism that goes with the territory, Sangiovese is the core constituent in some of the great names in Italian wine. Italy's love affair with Sangiovese – and indeed the world's – is generations old, though recent grapevine research suggests the variety is not as ancient as once thought.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
1 x Ser Gioveto Toscana "Super Tuscan" 2012 - Tuscany, Italy
94/100 James Suckling
Bronze - Wine Spectator
92/100 James Suckling (2013 vintage)
90/100 Wine Spectator (2013 vintage)
91/100 James Suckling (2011 vintage)
90/100 Wine Spectator (2011 vintage)
Bronze - Wine Enthusiast (2011 vintage)
Bronze - CellarTracker (2011 vintage)
90/100 James Suckling (2010 vintage)
90/100 CellarTracker (2010 vintage)
Bronze - Gilbert & Gaillard (2010 vintage)
Bronze - Wine Spectator (2010 vintage)
16.5/20 Vinum Wine Magazine (2010 vintage)
Gold - Mundus Vini (2010 vintage)
Super Tuscan
Organic - currently undergoing certification
Wine Spectator "Laced with dark fruit flavors and firm, dense tannins, this well-proportioned red shows both elegance and power."
James Suckling "Aromas of iodine, dried berries and stones follow through to a full body, round and chewy tannins and a shaved-chocolate, lemon peel and plum aftertaste."
Michael Apstein 95/100 points "This wine was originally created in 1985 as a Super Tuscan by Italo Zingarelli, the company’s founder, and named for his son, Sergio, the current head of the company. With the 2015 vintage, they eliminated the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and now use only Sangiovese from a single site, their Pian della Casina vineyard. It’s now a Chianti Classico Riserva, not a “Super Tuscan,” but it is definitely still super. The 2016 version is sensational. Gently explosive, is combines both savory and dark cherry-like flavors into a seamless package. It has wonderful density without being heavy. Lovely discreet bitterness in the exceptionally long and uplifting finish adds appeal. The bright Tuscan acidity amplifies its charms. Remarkably enjoyable now, its impeccable balance suggests you will be rewarded with cellaring the stellar wine." (2016 vintage. written on May 19, 2020)
James Suckling "A red with nut, berry, chocolate and bitter-orange character. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Complex and delicious." (2011 vintage)
Wine Spectator "A bright, elegant red, boasting cherry, strawberry, menthol, herb and tobacco flavors. Lightly shaded by oak, this stays balanced and flashes a peppery green quality on the finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot." (2011 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "Made from Sangiovese blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this opens with aromas of sawdust, oak, exotic spice and a whiff of black currant. The palate displays toasted oak, roasted coffee beans, menthol, ground black pepper and dried black cherries alongside grippy tannins that leave an astringent finish." (2011 vintage)
James Suckling "A lovely wine with soft tannins and a clean finish. It's medium-bodied and has fine tannins and a fresh finish. Subtle ripe berry and dark chocolate character." (2010 vintage)
Gilbert & Gaillard "Deep ruby. Open, warm nose with perfumes of spice and ripe black fruits and a balsamic touch. Full, robust palate marked by oak with a touch of freshness. Persistent finish. A classic wine for food." (2010 vintage)
Wine Spectator "Rich and fluid, with bright acidity driving the cherry, strawberry, tobacco and briar notes. Firmly tannic, but balanced overall. Sangiovese." (2010 vintage)
Rocca delle Macìe was established in 1973, when film producer Italo Zingarelli – of Ettore Scola’s “We All Loved Each Other So Much” fame, and also the wildly popular series of films featuring comedy duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill (including “They Call Me Trinity” and “Trinity Is Still My Name”) – decided to realize his lifelong dream by acquiring the “Le Macìe” estate – extending across 93 hectares (230 acres) in all, of which only two were under vine – in order to create a winery in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone.
The estate now extends to more than 500 hectares (1250 acres) with, in total, more than 200 (500 acres) used as vineyards and 22 (54 acres) as olive groves, subdivided across the company’s six estates: Le Macìe, Sant’Alfonso, Fizzano e le Tavolelle in the Chianti Classico Area, in addition to the Campomaccione and Casa Maria estates in the Morellino di Scansano Area (Maremma).
Super Tuscan refers to a style of red wine that originated in Tuscany, Italy, in the early 1970s. Many examples come from the region of Maremma, on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast in the southwest of Tuscany. The earliest Super Tuscan wines were high quality red wines made by noble winemaking families that did not fit into the Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) classification system because they used grapes not allowed by the rules of the DOCs in the region.
Super Tuscan wines vary in style, but the influence of Bordeaux is apparent in their use of new oak barrels and French grapes like cabernet sauvignon and merlot in addition to sangiovese, the classic grape of Tuscany. The best Super Tuscans are rich and full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and spice from oak, and can age for decades.
Tuscany is Italy's third most planted region (behind Sicily and Apulia) but it is eighth in terms of output, reflecting both the poor soil of Tuscany and deliberate efforts to limit yields and increase the quality in the wine. After Piedmont and the Veneto, Tuscany produces the third-highest volume of DOC/DOCG wines. More than 80% of the regions' production is in red wine, with the Sangiovese grape being Tuscany's' most prominent grape. Trebbiano is the leading white variety of the region.
The history of viticulture in Tuscany dates back to the Etruscans in the 8th century BC. From the fall of the Roman Empire and throughout the Middle Ages, monasteries were the main purveyors of wines in the region. As the aristocratic and merchant classes emerged, they inherited the share-cropping system of agriculture known as mezzadria. Many Tuscan landowners would turn their half of the grape harvest into wine that would be sold to merchants in Florence. Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Tuscany returned to the rule of the Habsburgs. Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Super Tuscan are Tuscany’s best known wines.
1 x McHenry Hohnen Hazel's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia
96/100 Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
95/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review
95/100 The Wine Front
95/100 Vinous
94/100 James Suckling
93/100 Falstaff (2017 vintage)
92/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2017 vintage)
92/100 Tom Cannavan (2017 vintage)
94/100 Steven Creber, Halliday Wine Companion (2016 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2017 vintage)
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards (2016 vintage)
5 Stars Winery - James Halliday
"Halliday Wine Companion - Australian Winery of the Year 2022 & 2023"
Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion "Savoury, textured and very long, this is not the succulent red-fruited explosion of Margaret River cabernets (neither a good nor bad thing, just an observation). It has the layered complexity we often find in Bordeaux, with a plumply satisfying core of cassis and redcurrant. Not overt, but restrained, with willowy tannins."
Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Deep, rich colour, still with a trace of purple remaining, the bouquet highly appealing with cassis, blackberry, mulberry aromas, the palate confirming concentrated fruit and strong backing tannins that are fine-grained and balanced. An intense, yet elegant, and very attractive full-bodied cabernet. A little tough at this stage, and would appreciate some hearty food with protein."
James Suckling "Rich summer-berry aromas and a wealth of youthfully complex notes, such as leaves, earth, sweet oak spice, violets, earth and chocolate. The palate has a rich core of ripe and sweet berries and carries long on quite dense tannins. Blueberry finish."
Falstaff "Beautifully soft floral aromas and wild herbs float from the glass, introducing a very harmonious, velvet-textured wine. Dark fruit mingles with gentle spice and dried herbs in a style that feels rather seductively Mediterranean. Fine tannins barely break the flow." (2017 vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Deep, dark colour and a brooding, reserved bouqet of earthy, tarry black fruits, a herbal note reminiscent of angelica, and the palate is nervy and refined, taut and tense, adding some dark chocolate to the suite of flavours. Long carry, with well-judged tannins adding the right amount of firmness. There's concentration and cellarworthiness." (2017 vintage)
Tom Cannavan "Creamy textured, the fruit does come through with mid-palate sweetness, then that restrained, coffee and sweet leathery spice dominates. Balanced and has real gastronomic appeal." (2017 vintage)
Steven Creber, Halliday Wine Companion "Shows good regional and varietal expression, although still very youthful and unevolved. Blackcurrant, cedar and dried herb are present in the bouquet and on the palate, with a sense of depth of fruit still to emerge from underneath the emphatic grip of the tannin as it is. Patience required." (2016 vintage)
Founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970’s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focusses on crafting site-expressive wines and are known for producing some of the regions best wines.
Margaret River is one of the best-known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined Cabernet Sauvignon and intensely citrusy Chardonnay varieties, the region now produces Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends and Shiraz.
Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.
1 x Corymbia Cabernet Sauvignon (Organic) 2021 - Margaret River, Australia
95/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin
95/100 The Wine Front, Gary Walsh
94/100 Robert Parker
97/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin (2019 vintage)
93/100 The Wine Front (2019 vintage)
Bronze - The Real Review, Huon Hooke (2018 vintage)
96/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Jane Faulkner (2018 vintage)
96/100 The Real Review, Nick Butler (2018 vintage)
96/100 The Wine Front (2018 vintage)
96/100 Jeremy Oliver (2018 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)
Organic
Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin "This wine has been tasted blind a number of times recently, and it is fascinating each time. The aromas are finely layered with cassis, exotic spice, salt bush, dried bay leaf ... there's also a faint backdrop of bacon fat, reminiscent of the Rhône. The tannins on the palate are a standout; super-fine and laid out like a web over the fruit. Very classy. This 2020 has more obvious fruit and structure than the 2019, but we expect that from the vintage. "
The Wine Front, Gary Walsh "It’s a graceful style of Cabernet, fine boned and fresh. Blackberry, strawberry, redcurrant, potpourri, slight smoky bacon bone character, and a sea spray/brine kind of thing. Tannin is tight with an emery board texture, subtle tobacco/leafy perfume, and a cool red fruited finish of excellent length, those high quality tannins really stretching it out. Subtle. Lovely."
Robert Parker "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of rose petals, lead pencil shavings, cassis, red apple skins, lavender on the breeze, saltbush, kalamata olives and iodine on the nose. In the mouth, the wine is a spicy, ever-evolving, supple Cabernet from the Mann's Calgardup vineyard. There is a harmony and peace in this wine that remains through each of the vintages. Modern and a little bit thrilling."
Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin "Luminescent ruby with glints of purple and black. It shines as if with its own dense internal light. The telltale ripe and chewy tannin profile handled masterfully by Rob Mann, with pristine fruit and great length of flavour. An exceptionally elegant, powder-fine cabernet, part of the new Margaret River breed. A massive, resounding, YES." (2019 vintage)
The Real Review, Huon Hooke "Deep, bright purple/red hue. Lifted, high-register violet, blueberry spectrum aromas, the palate medium to full-bodied and lean-ish, with a trace of bitterness in the tannins. A very fragrant, franc-like cabernet with a touch of grip to lose." (2019 vintage)
Halliday Wine Companion, Jane Faulkner "The inaugural release with fruit off the Mann family's organically farmed Calgardup vineyard, and the result is a beautifully composed wine. This is all about detail. Heady aromas of mulberries, florals, soy sauce and salt bush with a wisp of menthol. Lots going on yet medium-bodied with superfine tannins that glide across the palate. A wine of great finesse." (2018 vintage)
The Real Review, Nick Butler "Dense purple colour - opaque. Brooding dark fruits and graphite. Intense on the palate - blackberries, firm oak and grippy tannins. A tease of sweetness lends charm. This is young and has an incredibly long future ahead of it. Beautifully balanced, precise and poised " (2018 vintage)
James Suckling "This has a deep tarry edge to the nose with black fruit, wrapped up in a savory shroud with slate-like notes. A very attractive and convincingly concentrated palate that offers ripe dark plums, black cherries and dark, stony minerals at the fresh, polished, graphite-like finish. Impressive poise and depth." (2018 vintage)
Gourmet Traveller Wine "The wines under the Corymbia label have been outstanding."
Rob & Gen Mann "Very satisfying"
Gourmet Traveller Wine, Mike Bennie "Corymbia is one of the most exciting wine projects to emerge from Western Australia in a decade. The combination of a distinguished winemaking family, the reinvention of a much-maligned wine region, the unlocking of the potential of a mature vineyard and a general sense of creativity, have all contributed to a strong currency.
100% cabernet sauvignon
Organic wines are made from grapes grown without pesticides, following strict organic standards. Organic wines are produced in vineyards that do not use synthetic chemicals.Certified organic wines have been certified by Australian Certified Organic Standard (ACOS).
Corymbia is the newish project of Rob and Genevieve Mann. The Mann family, of course, are generational wine producers in WA, with a history of iconic wines and vineyards. Rob, formerly working with Hardys, Cape Mentelle and Newton Vineyard in Napa Valley, has returned home and made a mark.
The family vineyard in Swan Valley is dry grown and organically farmed. While winemaking draws on the Manns’ suite of expertise and diversity of influences, it has been pared back for Corymbia, letting the fruit and character of the wines take the spotlight.
That Swan Valley has been put on a pedestal is wonderful, and a celebration of older vineyards, unique soil profile and a general sense of generational endeavor is exciting for the region. There’s an undercurrent of winemakers amplifying the region’s potential, but arguably Corymbia is the current totem."
Huon Hooke "The Mann family are winemaking royalty in Western Australia."
Corymbia is a new winery launched by one of the founding families of Western Australian wine. The Manns have grown grapes and made wine in the Swan Valley, Western Australia's oldest wine-growing region for over a century. Corymbia wines are critically acclaimed, organically-farmed, single-vineyard wines. Founder, Rob Mann is considered one of Australia's best contemporary winemakers. He was the senior winemaker at Hardy’s Tintara, and Cape Mentelle, where during his ten-year tenure the winery was twice awarded 'Australia's Producer of the Year' and Rob 'Australian Winemaker of the Year'. Prior to founding Corymbia he was Senior Winemaker at LVMH’s Newton Vineyard in the Napa Valley.
Swan Valley is a sub-region of the Swan District wine region just north of Perth, in Western Australia. The Swan District is Western Australia’s oldest wine region, having been planted by English settlers soon after their arrival in 1829. For almost 150 years it was the only significant wine-producing region in Western Australia and today it's also home to the state's largest winery. Some of Western Australia's finest wines are produced in the Swan Valley.
Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra, and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices, and cedarwood.
1 x Hewitson The Dorrien Bank Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 – Barossa Valley, South Australia
96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
96/100 Jeni Port, Wine Pilot
95/100 Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot
95/100 Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
94/100 Regan Drew, Wine Pilot
94/100 Melissa Moore, Wine Pilot
94/100 Gary Walsh, Wine Front
93/100 Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
92/100 Stuart Knox, The Real Review
92/100 Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal Barossa Guide
5 Star Winery - James Halliday
James Suckling Top 100 Top Value Wine 2020
James Halliday Top 100 Winery 2017
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit "Superbly fruited and enticing, the wine shows cassis, toasty oak, olive, warm spice and vanilla characters, leading to a wonderfully weighted palate offering rich texture backed by finely pitched tannins, finishing persistent and structured. Wonderfully styled with delectable varietal flavours, making it highly enjoyable."
Jeni Port, Wine Pilot "Dorrien Cabernet Sauvignon has always had a touch of class, a memory first planted by the great Cabernets produced in the Barossa sub-region by Seppelt. The Dorrien Bank vineyard – situated on the sandy loam bank of the Para River – doesn’t disappoint in producing an engaging, flavoursome Cabernet that sings. Black as night in hue. Graphite, pencil lead oak notes combine with loganberry, blackberry, crushed herbs, mint and spice aromas. There’s no denying that Dorrien Bank is big in personality, full-on in the richness and oak stakes, but it handles it so well. The winemaker’s hand has constructed one smart Cabernet full of flavour, structure and interest. Chocolate, liquorice, earth, leather, nutmeg and a whisper of gentle leafiness join forces with woodsy oak spice to command the drinker’s attention. And then it keeps it. Bravo."
Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot "The fruit was sourced from the Dorrien subregion which sits on the left bank of the Para River that cuts through the Barossa Valley. It’s such a smooth and seamlessly woven cabernet that has been worked with a mix of new and older French oak for about 18 months. Powerful varietal blackcurrant and savoury plum aromas with a subtle cedary influence. The tannins are quite chalky and firm which suits the power and intensity of the fruit. Bright and lively with great length. Well-suited to cellaring"
Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion "Classic left bank cabernet sauvignon. Left bank of the Para River that is, in the famed subregion of Dorrien. Deep magenta/crimson with fruit aromas of plush blackberry, black cherry and blackcurrant. Nary a herbaceous note to be found. It's all layered spice, licorice, créme de cassis, kirsch, tobacco pouch and softly spoken cedar tones. Weighty and wonderfully ripe and silken, tannins superfine and melting back into the black fruits and finishing long, fruit pure with a slightly savoury lean."
Regan Drew, Wine Pilot "After a boundary realignment with a neighbour in 2019, Hewitson acquired 3 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon. Planted in 1996 in the sub-region of Dorrien on the left bank of the Para River that runs through the Barossa, it was re-worked over 3 years ‘from head to toe.’ Winemaking sees 10% whole bunch in the ferment and held on skins for 3 weeks with 18 months maturation in new and used French oak barriques. Opens with dark chocolate coating blackcurrant, raspberry and cassis aromas. Spearmint highlight over tobacco pouch and rain drenched eucalypts. Oak presents a touch of spice, cedar and vanilla. The medium body offers plenty of red fruit fleshiness with just-picked blackberry freshness and lift, supported by black olive savouriness. Tannins are ripe and supple, the oak giving a kiss of spice through a tail focused and long."
Melissa Moore, Wine Pilot "Planted in 1996, grapes for this new red from Dean Hewitson were estate-grown in the famous Dorrien sub-region that lies on the left bank of the Para River running through the Barossa Valley. The 2022 Dorrien Bank is bright and understandably youthful in the glass, with aromas of blackcurrant and boysenberry underpinned with baked plum pie, light leafy mint notes and the savoury French oak of vanilla, cedar and chocolate. Full-bodied, it has the richness of a Cadbury’s fruit and nut chocolate bar in great balance with fine acidity weaving throughout and chewy tannins to finish."
Gary Walsh, Wine Front "Vines planted in 1996, and I think of the Seppelt Dorrien Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon of the same year, which was a great wine. Bottled in a Burgundy bottle, which is a quirky choice! There’s a bit of oak here, but gee, Cabernet handles it so much better than Mourvèdre does. Cassis, chocolate, mint, pencils, spice, quite some perfume too. It’s full-bodied, but only just, lavish ripe dark fruit, creamy spicy oak, balanced acidity, deep and rich, tannin is plush and velvety, and the finish is long, and packed with dark cherry and cocoa."
Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate "The 2022 The Dorrien Bank is full-flavored and fleshy, with dried herbs and graphite woven through the generous fruit on the mid-palate. There are several thinly veiled references to Bordeaux on the back label, and the wine is so hemispherically different to those wines. This presents as warm-climate Cabernet Sauvignon, but it retains some freshness and detail on the mid-palate, which I think is an asset. There are notes of chewing tobacco and raspberry, peppercorns and lead pencil, with a sway of cedar and baking spice through the finish. Smart."
Stuart Knox, The Real Review "nk black core, barely fading into deep ruby rim. Heady nose of blackberry pastilles, vanilla cola and cigar leaf aromatics. Rich, plush and full on the palate, sweet black fruits with subtle cola spics and hints of cigar box all flow across the tongue. Good length brought by sandy tannins that carry right to the end, leaving a bone-dry finish."
Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal Barossa Guide "Deep crimson. Attractive blackcurrant, chinotto leafy aromas with sea-breezy notes. Smooth and glossy with ample cassis, touch minty flavours, fine al dente/leafy textures and underlying savoury notes. Bittersweet at the finish."
Annette Lacey MW, Wine Pilot "Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% whole bunch coaxes the black fruit perfume to swirl up and out of the glass. The deep ruby colour pops as does the ripest mulberry and blueberry fruits, vanilla and baking spice oak adds some depth to the fruit profile, reminiscent of a warmed fruit pie. Oak is noticable and so is the fruit but there is no jamminess, just a moderate weight supporting ripe and plush tannins that finish with a chalky attack to liven up your palate ready for the next sip. It really is a juxtaposition of silky ripe fruit and structure."
Winemaker "Through a boundary realignment with its neighbour in 2019, Hewitson acquired 3 Ha of Cabernet Sauvignon, planted 1996 with the lauded LC14 clone in the sub-region of Dorrien, on the left bank of the Para River that runs through Barossa Valley. This bedrock acquisition provided the opportunity to create a great Cabernet Sauvignon from this famous sub-region. Over the next three years the vineyard was re-worked from head to toe including subterranean drainage then micro-batch winemaking followed its evolution. Patience has been rewarded with the release of estate-grown The Dorrien Bank Cabernet Sauvignon."
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Australian Wine Companion "Established in 1998 Hewitson winery is situated in the heart of the Barossa Valley on the historic Seppeltsfield Road and boasts some of the oldest vines in the world. Hewitson fruit is sourced from historic, dry-grown vineyards in the Barossa Valley and also from single site vineyards in Eden Valley, McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills."
Frederick Wildman "Dean Hewitson founded his eponymous winery in 1998. He is a highly respected Australian winemaker ...Hewitson has worked at wineries in Australia, France, Italy and Oregon. Hewitson then moved to the U.S. where he earned a Masters from UC-Davis. On his return home, Dean brought a wealth of knowledge, practical experience and a driving passion to produce wines not only from Barossa Valley, but also from the McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills regions.
Hewitson fundamentally believes great wines are the expression of the soils they are grown in and the season in which they are grown. With his longstanding focus on terroir—specific terroir plots in fact—many of Hewitson’s wines are single vineyard. He sources grapes from not only his own vineyards but also from long-standing grower contracts including a few sourced from some of the oldest living, still productive vines on plots that date back to the mid-19th century and are pre-phylloxera. His ‘Old Garden’ Mourvèdre is a single-vineyard wine, whose vines were planted in 1853 in Barossa Valley and are reputed to be the oldest Mourvèdre vines in the world. Hewitson’s ‘Miss Harry’ is sourced from a Grenache vineyard planted in 1880, also thought to be the oldest Grenache in existence.
Due to Hewitson’s education and experience in Australia, California and France, Hewitson wines combine Old-World traditions with New-World fruit purity. And while he clearly excels with Rhône Valley grape varieties, Hewitson also produces award-winning Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. A practitioner in solar energy, water recycling and encouraging natural biodiversity, Hewitson produces wines in an environmentally sustainable fashion."
James Halliday "Dean Hewitson was a winemaker at Petaluma [one of Australia's leading wineries] for 10 years, during which time he managed to do three vintages in France and one in Oregon as well as undertaking his Masters at the University of California, Davis. It is hardly surprising that the wines are immaculately made from a technical viewpoint. Dean sources 30-year-old Riesling from the Eden Valley and 70-year-old shiraz from McLaren Vale; he also makes a Barossa Valley Mourvedre from vines planted in 1853 at Rowland Flat, and Barossa Valley Shiraz and Grenache from 60-year-old vines at Tanunda."
The Barossa Valley is an extremely important wine-producing region within the Barossa zone of South Australia, particularly associated with powerful red wines from the red wine grape variety Shiraz. A prestigious and internationally renowned region, it is not only home to some of the oldest vineyards and wineries in Australia but produces some of its most recognizable and sought-after brands. A striking feature of the Barossa Valley's wine landscape is the presence of very old vines, proudly showcased on many wine labels and during vineyard tours.
Indulge in the quintessential red wine experience with the Cabernet Sauvignon Classics Mixed Pack Treasure. This curated collection showcases the bold, rich flavors and timeless elegance of the world's most celebrated Cabernet Sauvignon wines. From the structured and complex profiles of Tuscany to the velvety, fruit-driven expressions from Australia's renowned regions, this six-pack offers a journey through excellence. Each bottle has been selected for its exceptional quality, delivering layers of dark fruit, subtle oak, and refined tannins that make Cabernet Sauvignon the king of reds. Perfect for collectors, connoisseurs, or anyone looking to elevate their wine moments, this pack is your ticket to savoring the finest the varietal has to offer.
1 x Penley Estate Steyning Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 - Coonawarra, South Australia
95/100 Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
93/100 James Suckling
93/100 Wine Enthusiast
95/100 Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (2018 vintage)
92/100 Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review (2018 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2017 vintage)
92/100 Wine Enthusiast (2017 vintage)
Winemaker of the Year 2024 - Halliday Wine Companion
5 Stars - Halliday Wine Companion
Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion "This is the sweet, vibrant, energetic sister to the Chertsey. This is poised and exciting – a cool combination – and shows a sumptuous spread of ripe berry fruits and fresh exotic spices. Star anise, blood plums, blackberries, raspberries and fennel seeds are woven into the very fabric of the wine. Pretty gorgeous stuff, here."
James Suckling "A conventionally styled cabernet with complex aromas of dark berries and herbs, as well as olives and forest wood. The palate has bright blueberry and plum flavors, served up with a composed, groomed style."
Wine Enthusiast "An open-knit, modern expression of Coonawarra, this finds lovely balance between ripe, tangy berry fruit, dark chocolate and savory spice. It's more medium bodied than full but the mouthfeel is luscious, gently tugged by well-integrated, spicy and leathery tannins."
Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion "...evolve superbly, a hallmark of this majestic variety. But it is also approachable now, with the appealing freshness of bright dark fruit. It's lightly scented, delicately spiced with powdery tannins and finishes long. (2018 vintage)
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review "Medium to deep red colour with a purple tint. Tightly-wound blackcurrant fruit has a light minty leafiness and well measured cigar-boxy oak adds aromatic interest. This is a medium-weight mouthful, dry and quite austere in style, with tasty ripe fruit at its heart. At the moment it seems to fall away very slightly in intensity across the palate, but it has real length of flavour, and it should build apparent depth with age as its firm tannins melt away. A wine for the cellar." (2018 vintage)
James Suckling "A juicy and velvety red with plums, crushed berries and hints of spice. Full body, soft tannins and a flavorful finish." (2017 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "This is classic Coonawarra. Purple and red fruit mingle with earthy, herbal notes, along with a briney streak black olives and subtle charred vegetable notes at the back. The powerful palate is somewhat austere, wound by raspy tannins, but there's a lift of juicy currant and plum fruit alongside a flicker of oak in a supporting role." (2017 vintage)
The iconic Penley Estate arose from a combination of the prestigious Penfold and Tolley wine families. Winemaker Kate Goodman is regarded as one of Australia’s best contemporary winemakers, having worked at wineries in McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Great Western and Yarra Valley. Penley Estate estate shot to prominence in 1989 when Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon won Gold at the prestigious Adelaide Wine Show. Since that time the estate has grown significantly to over 80 hectares of vines and is run by 5th generation family members, sisters Ang & Bec Tolley.
Coonawarra is the most important wine region within the Limestone Coast zone of South Australia, credited with producing some of the best red wines in the country, and often described as Australia's most famous terroir. The region's prime Terra Rossa land, which has a reddish-brown topsoil over a thick layer of soft limestone, covers a narrow strip only 12 kilometres long. The reddish colour of the soil is caused by iron-oxide (rust) formations in the clay. Vineyards on this soil benefit from good drainage and nutrient-holding capacity.
Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot wines are made from two of the world's most famous and most widely grown wine grapes. The pair form the foundation of many of the great wines of Bordeaux, where this classic blend (often dubbed ""Bordeaux Blend"") is thought to have originated. For centuries, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have been the quintessential Bordeaux wine grapes, but their fame and popularity have now taken them far beyond the banks of the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde, to the furthest reaches of the wine world.
1 x Roccato Toscana "Super Tuscan" Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 - Tuscany, Italy
93/100 Wine Enthusiast
90/100 Wine Spectator
93/100 James Suckling (2019 vintage)
93/100 Raffaela Vecchione, Wine Critic (2019 vintage)
92/100 Wine Enthusiast (2019 vintage)
91/100 Falstaff (2019 vintage)
90/100 Robert Parker (2019 vintage)
Organic - currently undergoing certification
Wine Enthusiast "The nose is primarily savory, with notes of cured meat, topsoil and graphite, but undertones of sour cherries and tart berries provide some buzz. The ebb and flow of earthiness and astringency continues on the palate, while insistent tannins and lively acidity provide structure for that interplay."
James Suckling "Lots of blackcurrants, licorice and mint with some graphite on the nose. Medium to full body with integrated tannins and a very long, fresh finish. Rather open already. Another year or two will make it even better. Pure cabernet sauvignon." (2019 vintage)
Raffaela Vecchione, Wine Critic "...shows notes of black plums, blackberries, crushed tobacco, and coffee. Medium-bodied, well-extracted fine-grained tannins, and a moderately progressing finish." (2019 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "With a nose that's intensely woodsy, this Cabernet Sauvignon feels like a stroll through the woods on a winter's afternoon. Aromas start with roots, underbrush and soil and then pass into dark berries and bramble. The palate turns chocolaty and dense with blackberries and currants." (2019 vintage)
Falstaff "Medium ruby with brightening edges. Dark savoury nose, cedar, liquorice and some spruce resin. Rich palate notion, crisp acidity, clear dark berry fruit, well-integrated wood, subtle vanilla note, stout, a bit restrained on the finish." (2019 vintage)
Robert Parker "The full-bodied Rocca delle Macìe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Roccato (with 6,500 bottles released) shows sweet fruit, dark cherry, toasted almond and milky cinnamon cream. Fourteen months of barrique aging plays a big role in the intensity and textural support of this wine. It feels rich over the palate and thick around the middle."
Winemaker "Very intense ruby red tending to garnet with aging. Broad and persistent, with hints of red fruits and spices ranging from cacao, to vanilla to coffee. Warm and well balanced, with a dense network of tannins that well support and sustain the long aromatic
persistence.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Rocca delle Macìe was established in 1973, when film producer Italo Zingarelli – of Ettore Scola’s “We All Loved Each Other So Much” fame, and also the wildly popular series of films featuring comedy duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill (including “They Call Me Trinity” and “Trinity Is Still My Name”) – decided to realize his lifelong dream by acquiring the “Le Macìe” estate – extending across 93 hectares (230 acres) in all, of which only two were under vine – in order to create a winery in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone.
The estate now extends to more than 500 hectares (1250 acres) with, in total, more than 200 (500 acres) used as vineyards and 22 (54 acres) as olive groves, subdivided across the company’s six estates: Le Macìe, Sant’Alfonso, Fizzano e le Tavolelle in the Chianti Classico Area, in addition to the Campomaccione and Casa Maria estates in the Morellino di Scansano Area (Maremma).
The Chianti region in Italy's Tuscany wine growing region is split between Chianti and Chianti Classico. Accordingly, two separate DOCG designations apply to wines from the Chianti region: the Chianti Classico DOCG for the heartland of Chianti, and Chianti DOCG for all other Chianti regions. (In 1984, the Chianti region was promoted from DOC to DOCG - Italy’s highest classification - and in 1996, Chianti Classico - the historic heartland of the region - DOCG was created, which gave autonomy to that region. In the last 20 years, a consortium of Chianti Classico producers have researched new Sangiovese clones, replanted vineyards, updated cellar practices and generally made Chianti Classico DOCG a world-class appellation. Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 75% Sangiovese. In the 2014 edition of its annual compendium of wine ratings, Gambero Rosso noted that Chianti Classico DOCG wines were noteworthy for their “significant return to a more defined style, true to tradition.” The typical Chianti Classico wine is a ruby-red, Sangiovese-based wine with aromas of violets and cherries and a hint of earthy spice.
The Chianti DOCG designation covers wines from six Chianti sub-zones (Colli Pisane, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini, Montalbano and Rufina) as well as all other Chianti wines. The Chianti Classico DOCG is located in the very center of Tuscany, between Florence and Sienna."
"Tuscany is Italy's third most planted region (behind Sicily and Apulia) but it is eighth in terms of output, reflecting both the poor soil of Tuscany and deliberate efforts to limit yields and increase the quality in the wine. After Piedmont and the Veneto, Tuscany produces the third-highest volume of DOC/DOCG wines. More than 80% of the regions' production is in red wine, with the Sangiovese grape being Tuscany's' most prominent grape. Trebbiano is the leading white variety of the region.
The history of viticulture in Tuscany dates back to the Etruscans in the 8th century BC. From the fall of the Roman Empire and throughout the Middle Ages, monasteries were the main purveyors of wines in the region. As the aristocratic and merchant classes emerged, they inherited the share-cropping system of agriculture known as mezzadria. Many Tuscan landowners would turn their half of the grape harvest into wine that would be sold to merchants in Florence. Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Tuscany returned to the rule of the Habsburgs. Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Super Tuscan are Tuscany’s best known wines.
Sangiovese (or Nielluccio in Corsica), a dark-berried vine, is the most widely planted grape variety in Italy. Virtually synonymous with the red wines of Tuscany, and all the romanticism that goes with the territory, Sangiovese is the core constituent in some of the great names in Italian wine. Italy's love affair with Sangiovese – and indeed the world's – is generations old, though recent grapevine research suggests the variety is not as ancient as once thought.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
1 x Ser Gioveto Toscana "Super Tuscan" 2012 - Tuscany, Italy
94/100 James Suckling
Bronze - Wine Spectator
92/100 James Suckling (2013 vintage)
90/100 Wine Spectator (2013 vintage)
91/100 James Suckling (2011 vintage)
90/100 Wine Spectator (2011 vintage)
Bronze - Wine Enthusiast (2011 vintage)
Bronze - CellarTracker (2011 vintage)
90/100 James Suckling (2010 vintage)
90/100 CellarTracker (2010 vintage)
Bronze - Gilbert & Gaillard (2010 vintage)
Bronze - Wine Spectator (2010 vintage)
16.5/20 Vinum Wine Magazine (2010 vintage)
Gold - Mundus Vini (2010 vintage)
Super Tuscan
Organic - currently undergoing certification
Wine Spectator "Laced with dark fruit flavors and firm, dense tannins, this well-proportioned red shows both elegance and power."
James Suckling "Aromas of iodine, dried berries and stones follow through to a full body, round and chewy tannins and a shaved-chocolate, lemon peel and plum aftertaste."
Michael Apstein 95/100 points "This wine was originally created in 1985 as a Super Tuscan by Italo Zingarelli, the company’s founder, and named for his son, Sergio, the current head of the company. With the 2015 vintage, they eliminated the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and now use only Sangiovese from a single site, their Pian della Casina vineyard. It’s now a Chianti Classico Riserva, not a “Super Tuscan,” but it is definitely still super. The 2016 version is sensational. Gently explosive, is combines both savory and dark cherry-like flavors into a seamless package. It has wonderful density without being heavy. Lovely discreet bitterness in the exceptionally long and uplifting finish adds appeal. The bright Tuscan acidity amplifies its charms. Remarkably enjoyable now, its impeccable balance suggests you will be rewarded with cellaring the stellar wine." (2016 vintage. written on May 19, 2020)
James Suckling "A red with nut, berry, chocolate and bitter-orange character. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Complex and delicious." (2011 vintage)
Wine Spectator "A bright, elegant red, boasting cherry, strawberry, menthol, herb and tobacco flavors. Lightly shaded by oak, this stays balanced and flashes a peppery green quality on the finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot." (2011 vintage)
Wine Enthusiast "Made from Sangiovese blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this opens with aromas of sawdust, oak, exotic spice and a whiff of black currant. The palate displays toasted oak, roasted coffee beans, menthol, ground black pepper and dried black cherries alongside grippy tannins that leave an astringent finish." (2011 vintage)
James Suckling "A lovely wine with soft tannins and a clean finish. It's medium-bodied and has fine tannins and a fresh finish. Subtle ripe berry and dark chocolate character." (2010 vintage)
Gilbert & Gaillard "Deep ruby. Open, warm nose with perfumes of spice and ripe black fruits and a balsamic touch. Full, robust palate marked by oak with a touch of freshness. Persistent finish. A classic wine for food." (2010 vintage)
Wine Spectator "Rich and fluid, with bright acidity driving the cherry, strawberry, tobacco and briar notes. Firmly tannic, but balanced overall. Sangiovese." (2010 vintage)
Rocca delle Macìe was established in 1973, when film producer Italo Zingarelli – of Ettore Scola’s “We All Loved Each Other So Much” fame, and also the wildly popular series of films featuring comedy duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill (including “They Call Me Trinity” and “Trinity Is Still My Name”) – decided to realize his lifelong dream by acquiring the “Le Macìe” estate – extending across 93 hectares (230 acres) in all, of which only two were under vine – in order to create a winery in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone.
The estate now extends to more than 500 hectares (1250 acres) with, in total, more than 200 (500 acres) used as vineyards and 22 (54 acres) as olive groves, subdivided across the company’s six estates: Le Macìe, Sant’Alfonso, Fizzano e le Tavolelle in the Chianti Classico Area, in addition to the Campomaccione and Casa Maria estates in the Morellino di Scansano Area (Maremma).
Super Tuscan refers to a style of red wine that originated in Tuscany, Italy, in the early 1970s. Many examples come from the region of Maremma, on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast in the southwest of Tuscany. The earliest Super Tuscan wines were high quality red wines made by noble winemaking families that did not fit into the Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) classification system because they used grapes not allowed by the rules of the DOCs in the region.
Super Tuscan wines vary in style, but the influence of Bordeaux is apparent in their use of new oak barrels and French grapes like cabernet sauvignon and merlot in addition to sangiovese, the classic grape of Tuscany. The best Super Tuscans are rich and full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and spice from oak, and can age for decades.
Tuscany is Italy's third most planted region (behind Sicily and Apulia) but it is eighth in terms of output, reflecting both the poor soil of Tuscany and deliberate efforts to limit yields and increase the quality in the wine. After Piedmont and the Veneto, Tuscany produces the third-highest volume of DOC/DOCG wines. More than 80% of the regions' production is in red wine, with the Sangiovese grape being Tuscany's' most prominent grape. Trebbiano is the leading white variety of the region.
The history of viticulture in Tuscany dates back to the Etruscans in the 8th century BC. From the fall of the Roman Empire and throughout the Middle Ages, monasteries were the main purveyors of wines in the region. As the aristocratic and merchant classes emerged, they inherited the share-cropping system of agriculture known as mezzadria. Many Tuscan landowners would turn their half of the grape harvest into wine that would be sold to merchants in Florence. Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Tuscany returned to the rule of the Habsburgs. Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Super Tuscan are Tuscany’s best known wines.
1 x McHenry Hohnen Hazel's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia
96/100 Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
95/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review
95/100 The Wine Front
95/100 Vinous
94/100 James Suckling
93/100 Falstaff (2017 vintage)
92/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2017 vintage)
92/100 Tom Cannavan (2017 vintage)
94/100 Steven Creber, Halliday Wine Companion (2016 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2017 vintage)
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards (2016 vintage)
5 Stars Winery - James Halliday
"Halliday Wine Companion - Australian Winery of the Year 2022 & 2023"
Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion "Savoury, textured and very long, this is not the succulent red-fruited explosion of Margaret River cabernets (neither a good nor bad thing, just an observation). It has the layered complexity we often find in Bordeaux, with a plumply satisfying core of cassis and redcurrant. Not overt, but restrained, with willowy tannins."
Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Deep, rich colour, still with a trace of purple remaining, the bouquet highly appealing with cassis, blackberry, mulberry aromas, the palate confirming concentrated fruit and strong backing tannins that are fine-grained and balanced. An intense, yet elegant, and very attractive full-bodied cabernet. A little tough at this stage, and would appreciate some hearty food with protein."
James Suckling "Rich summer-berry aromas and a wealth of youthfully complex notes, such as leaves, earth, sweet oak spice, violets, earth and chocolate. The palate has a rich core of ripe and sweet berries and carries long on quite dense tannins. Blueberry finish."
Falstaff "Beautifully soft floral aromas and wild herbs float from the glass, introducing a very harmonious, velvet-textured wine. Dark fruit mingles with gentle spice and dried herbs in a style that feels rather seductively Mediterranean. Fine tannins barely break the flow." (2017 vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Deep, dark colour and a brooding, reserved bouqet of earthy, tarry black fruits, a herbal note reminiscent of angelica, and the palate is nervy and refined, taut and tense, adding some dark chocolate to the suite of flavours. Long carry, with well-judged tannins adding the right amount of firmness. There's concentration and cellarworthiness." (2017 vintage)
Tom Cannavan "Creamy textured, the fruit does come through with mid-palate sweetness, then that restrained, coffee and sweet leathery spice dominates. Balanced and has real gastronomic appeal." (2017 vintage)
Steven Creber, Halliday Wine Companion "Shows good regional and varietal expression, although still very youthful and unevolved. Blackcurrant, cedar and dried herb are present in the bouquet and on the palate, with a sense of depth of fruit still to emerge from underneath the emphatic grip of the tannin as it is. Patience required." (2016 vintage)
Founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970’s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focusses on crafting site-expressive wines and are known for producing some of the regions best wines.
Margaret River is one of the best-known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined Cabernet Sauvignon and intensely citrusy Chardonnay varieties, the region now produces Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends and Shiraz.
Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.
1 x Corymbia Cabernet Sauvignon (Organic) 2021 - Margaret River, Australia
95/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin
95/100 The Wine Front, Gary Walsh
94/100 Robert Parker
97/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin (2019 vintage)
93/100 The Wine Front (2019 vintage)
Bronze - The Real Review, Huon Hooke (2018 vintage)
96/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Jane Faulkner (2018 vintage)
96/100 The Real Review, Nick Butler (2018 vintage)
96/100 The Wine Front (2018 vintage)
96/100 Jeremy Oliver (2018 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)
Organic
Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin "This wine has been tasted blind a number of times recently, and it is fascinating each time. The aromas are finely layered with cassis, exotic spice, salt bush, dried bay leaf ... there's also a faint backdrop of bacon fat, reminiscent of the Rhône. The tannins on the palate are a standout; super-fine and laid out like a web over the fruit. Very classy. This 2020 has more obvious fruit and structure than the 2019, but we expect that from the vintage. "
The Wine Front, Gary Walsh "It’s a graceful style of Cabernet, fine boned and fresh. Blackberry, strawberry, redcurrant, potpourri, slight smoky bacon bone character, and a sea spray/brine kind of thing. Tannin is tight with an emery board texture, subtle tobacco/leafy perfume, and a cool red fruited finish of excellent length, those high quality tannins really stretching it out. Subtle. Lovely."
Robert Parker "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of rose petals, lead pencil shavings, cassis, red apple skins, lavender on the breeze, saltbush, kalamata olives and iodine on the nose. In the mouth, the wine is a spicy, ever-evolving, supple Cabernet from the Mann's Calgardup vineyard. There is a harmony and peace in this wine that remains through each of the vintages. Modern and a little bit thrilling."
Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin "Luminescent ruby with glints of purple and black. It shines as if with its own dense internal light. The telltale ripe and chewy tannin profile handled masterfully by Rob Mann, with pristine fruit and great length of flavour. An exceptionally elegant, powder-fine cabernet, part of the new Margaret River breed. A massive, resounding, YES." (2019 vintage)
The Real Review, Huon Hooke "Deep, bright purple/red hue. Lifted, high-register violet, blueberry spectrum aromas, the palate medium to full-bodied and lean-ish, with a trace of bitterness in the tannins. A very fragrant, franc-like cabernet with a touch of grip to lose." (2019 vintage)
Halliday Wine Companion, Jane Faulkner "The inaugural release with fruit off the Mann family's organically farmed Calgardup vineyard, and the result is a beautifully composed wine. This is all about detail. Heady aromas of mulberries, florals, soy sauce and salt bush with a wisp of menthol. Lots going on yet medium-bodied with superfine tannins that glide across the palate. A wine of great finesse." (2018 vintage)
The Real Review, Nick Butler "Dense purple colour - opaque. Brooding dark fruits and graphite. Intense on the palate - blackberries, firm oak and grippy tannins. A tease of sweetness lends charm. This is young and has an incredibly long future ahead of it. Beautifully balanced, precise and poised " (2018 vintage)
James Suckling "This has a deep tarry edge to the nose with black fruit, wrapped up in a savory shroud with slate-like notes. A very attractive and convincingly concentrated palate that offers ripe dark plums, black cherries and dark, stony minerals at the fresh, polished, graphite-like finish. Impressive poise and depth." (2018 vintage)
Gourmet Traveller Wine "The wines under the Corymbia label have been outstanding."
Rob & Gen Mann "Very satisfying"
Gourmet Traveller Wine, Mike Bennie "Corymbia is one of the most exciting wine projects to emerge from Western Australia in a decade. The combination of a distinguished winemaking family, the reinvention of a much-maligned wine region, the unlocking of the potential of a mature vineyard and a general sense of creativity, have all contributed to a strong currency.
100% cabernet sauvignon
Organic wines are made from grapes grown without pesticides, following strict organic standards. Organic wines are produced in vineyards that do not use synthetic chemicals.Certified organic wines have been certified by Australian Certified Organic Standard (ACOS).
Corymbia is the newish project of Rob and Genevieve Mann. The Mann family, of course, are generational wine producers in WA, with a history of iconic wines and vineyards. Rob, formerly working with Hardys, Cape Mentelle and Newton Vineyard in Napa Valley, has returned home and made a mark.
The family vineyard in Swan Valley is dry grown and organically farmed. While winemaking draws on the Manns’ suite of expertise and diversity of influences, it has been pared back for Corymbia, letting the fruit and character of the wines take the spotlight.
That Swan Valley has been put on a pedestal is wonderful, and a celebration of older vineyards, unique soil profile and a general sense of generational endeavor is exciting for the region. There’s an undercurrent of winemakers amplifying the region’s potential, but arguably Corymbia is the current totem."
Huon Hooke "The Mann family are winemaking royalty in Western Australia."
Corymbia is a new winery launched by one of the founding families of Western Australian wine. The Manns have grown grapes and made wine in the Swan Valley, Western Australia's oldest wine-growing region for over a century. Corymbia wines are critically acclaimed, organically-farmed, single-vineyard wines. Founder, Rob Mann is considered one of Australia's best contemporary winemakers. He was the senior winemaker at Hardy’s Tintara, and Cape Mentelle, where during his ten-year tenure the winery was twice awarded 'Australia's Producer of the Year' and Rob 'Australian Winemaker of the Year'. Prior to founding Corymbia he was Senior Winemaker at LVMH’s Newton Vineyard in the Napa Valley.
Swan Valley is a sub-region of the Swan District wine region just north of Perth, in Western Australia. The Swan District is Western Australia’s oldest wine region, having been planted by English settlers soon after their arrival in 1829. For almost 150 years it was the only significant wine-producing region in Western Australia and today it's also home to the state's largest winery. Some of Western Australia's finest wines are produced in the Swan Valley.
Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra, and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices, and cedarwood.
1 x Hewitson The Dorrien Bank Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 – Barossa Valley, South Australia
96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
96/100 Jeni Port, Wine Pilot
95/100 Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot
95/100 Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
94/100 Regan Drew, Wine Pilot
94/100 Melissa Moore, Wine Pilot
94/100 Gary Walsh, Wine Front
93/100 Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
92/100 Stuart Knox, The Real Review
92/100 Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal Barossa Guide
5 Star Winery - James Halliday
James Suckling Top 100 Top Value Wine 2020
James Halliday Top 100 Winery 2017
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit "Superbly fruited and enticing, the wine shows cassis, toasty oak, olive, warm spice and vanilla characters, leading to a wonderfully weighted palate offering rich texture backed by finely pitched tannins, finishing persistent and structured. Wonderfully styled with delectable varietal flavours, making it highly enjoyable."
Jeni Port, Wine Pilot "Dorrien Cabernet Sauvignon has always had a touch of class, a memory first planted by the great Cabernets produced in the Barossa sub-region by Seppelt. The Dorrien Bank vineyard – situated on the sandy loam bank of the Para River – doesn’t disappoint in producing an engaging, flavoursome Cabernet that sings. Black as night in hue. Graphite, pencil lead oak notes combine with loganberry, blackberry, crushed herbs, mint and spice aromas. There’s no denying that Dorrien Bank is big in personality, full-on in the richness and oak stakes, but it handles it so well. The winemaker’s hand has constructed one smart Cabernet full of flavour, structure and interest. Chocolate, liquorice, earth, leather, nutmeg and a whisper of gentle leafiness join forces with woodsy oak spice to command the drinker’s attention. And then it keeps it. Bravo."
Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot "The fruit was sourced from the Dorrien subregion which sits on the left bank of the Para River that cuts through the Barossa Valley. It’s such a smooth and seamlessly woven cabernet that has been worked with a mix of new and older French oak for about 18 months. Powerful varietal blackcurrant and savoury plum aromas with a subtle cedary influence. The tannins are quite chalky and firm which suits the power and intensity of the fruit. Bright and lively with great length. Well-suited to cellaring"
Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion "Classic left bank cabernet sauvignon. Left bank of the Para River that is, in the famed subregion of Dorrien. Deep magenta/crimson with fruit aromas of plush blackberry, black cherry and blackcurrant. Nary a herbaceous note to be found. It's all layered spice, licorice, créme de cassis, kirsch, tobacco pouch and softly spoken cedar tones. Weighty and wonderfully ripe and silken, tannins superfine and melting back into the black fruits and finishing long, fruit pure with a slightly savoury lean."
Regan Drew, Wine Pilot "After a boundary realignment with a neighbour in 2019, Hewitson acquired 3 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon. Planted in 1996 in the sub-region of Dorrien on the left bank of the Para River that runs through the Barossa, it was re-worked over 3 years ‘from head to toe.’ Winemaking sees 10% whole bunch in the ferment and held on skins for 3 weeks with 18 months maturation in new and used French oak barriques. Opens with dark chocolate coating blackcurrant, raspberry and cassis aromas. Spearmint highlight over tobacco pouch and rain drenched eucalypts. Oak presents a touch of spice, cedar and vanilla. The medium body offers plenty of red fruit fleshiness with just-picked blackberry freshness and lift, supported by black olive savouriness. Tannins are ripe and supple, the oak giving a kiss of spice through a tail focused and long."
Melissa Moore, Wine Pilot "Planted in 1996, grapes for this new red from Dean Hewitson were estate-grown in the famous Dorrien sub-region that lies on the left bank of the Para River running through the Barossa Valley. The 2022 Dorrien Bank is bright and understandably youthful in the glass, with aromas of blackcurrant and boysenberry underpinned with baked plum pie, light leafy mint notes and the savoury French oak of vanilla, cedar and chocolate. Full-bodied, it has the richness of a Cadbury’s fruit and nut chocolate bar in great balance with fine acidity weaving throughout and chewy tannins to finish."
Gary Walsh, Wine Front "Vines planted in 1996, and I think of the Seppelt Dorrien Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon of the same year, which was a great wine. Bottled in a Burgundy bottle, which is a quirky choice! There’s a bit of oak here, but gee, Cabernet handles it so much better than Mourvèdre does. Cassis, chocolate, mint, pencils, spice, quite some perfume too. It’s full-bodied, but only just, lavish ripe dark fruit, creamy spicy oak, balanced acidity, deep and rich, tannin is plush and velvety, and the finish is long, and packed with dark cherry and cocoa."
Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate "The 2022 The Dorrien Bank is full-flavored and fleshy, with dried herbs and graphite woven through the generous fruit on the mid-palate. There are several thinly veiled references to Bordeaux on the back label, and the wine is so hemispherically different to those wines. This presents as warm-climate Cabernet Sauvignon, but it retains some freshness and detail on the mid-palate, which I think is an asset. There are notes of chewing tobacco and raspberry, peppercorns and lead pencil, with a sway of cedar and baking spice through the finish. Smart."
Stuart Knox, The Real Review "nk black core, barely fading into deep ruby rim. Heady nose of blackberry pastilles, vanilla cola and cigar leaf aromatics. Rich, plush and full on the palate, sweet black fruits with subtle cola spics and hints of cigar box all flow across the tongue. Good length brought by sandy tannins that carry right to the end, leaving a bone-dry finish."
Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal Barossa Guide "Deep crimson. Attractive blackcurrant, chinotto leafy aromas with sea-breezy notes. Smooth and glossy with ample cassis, touch minty flavours, fine al dente/leafy textures and underlying savoury notes. Bittersweet at the finish."
Annette Lacey MW, Wine Pilot "Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% whole bunch coaxes the black fruit perfume to swirl up and out of the glass. The deep ruby colour pops as does the ripest mulberry and blueberry fruits, vanilla and baking spice oak adds some depth to the fruit profile, reminiscent of a warmed fruit pie. Oak is noticable and so is the fruit but there is no jamminess, just a moderate weight supporting ripe and plush tannins that finish with a chalky attack to liven up your palate ready for the next sip. It really is a juxtaposition of silky ripe fruit and structure."
Winemaker "Through a boundary realignment with its neighbour in 2019, Hewitson acquired 3 Ha of Cabernet Sauvignon, planted 1996 with the lauded LC14 clone in the sub-region of Dorrien, on the left bank of the Para River that runs through Barossa Valley. This bedrock acquisition provided the opportunity to create a great Cabernet Sauvignon from this famous sub-region. Over the next three years the vineyard was re-worked from head to toe including subterranean drainage then micro-batch winemaking followed its evolution. Patience has been rewarded with the release of estate-grown The Dorrien Bank Cabernet Sauvignon."
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Australian Wine Companion "Established in 1998 Hewitson winery is situated in the heart of the Barossa Valley on the historic Seppeltsfield Road and boasts some of the oldest vines in the world. Hewitson fruit is sourced from historic, dry-grown vineyards in the Barossa Valley and also from single site vineyards in Eden Valley, McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills."
Frederick Wildman "Dean Hewitson founded his eponymous winery in 1998. He is a highly respected Australian winemaker ...Hewitson has worked at wineries in Australia, France, Italy and Oregon. Hewitson then moved to the U.S. where he earned a Masters from UC-Davis. On his return home, Dean brought a wealth of knowledge, practical experience and a driving passion to produce wines not only from Barossa Valley, but also from the McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills regions.
Hewitson fundamentally believes great wines are the expression of the soils they are grown in and the season in which they are grown. With his longstanding focus on terroir—specific terroir plots in fact—many of Hewitson’s wines are single vineyard. He sources grapes from not only his own vineyards but also from long-standing grower contracts including a few sourced from some of the oldest living, still productive vines on plots that date back to the mid-19th century and are pre-phylloxera. His ‘Old Garden’ Mourvèdre is a single-vineyard wine, whose vines were planted in 1853 in Barossa Valley and are reputed to be the oldest Mourvèdre vines in the world. Hewitson’s ‘Miss Harry’ is sourced from a Grenache vineyard planted in 1880, also thought to be the oldest Grenache in existence.
Due to Hewitson’s education and experience in Australia, California and France, Hewitson wines combine Old-World traditions with New-World fruit purity. And while he clearly excels with Rhône Valley grape varieties, Hewitson also produces award-winning Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. A practitioner in solar energy, water recycling and encouraging natural biodiversity, Hewitson produces wines in an environmentally sustainable fashion."
James Halliday "Dean Hewitson was a winemaker at Petaluma [one of Australia's leading wineries] for 10 years, during which time he managed to do three vintages in France and one in Oregon as well as undertaking his Masters at the University of California, Davis. It is hardly surprising that the wines are immaculately made from a technical viewpoint. Dean sources 30-year-old Riesling from the Eden Valley and 70-year-old shiraz from McLaren Vale; he also makes a Barossa Valley Mourvedre from vines planted in 1853 at Rowland Flat, and Barossa Valley Shiraz and Grenache from 60-year-old vines at Tanunda."
The Barossa Valley is an extremely important wine-producing region within the Barossa zone of South Australia, particularly associated with powerful red wines from the red wine grape variety Shiraz. A prestigious and internationally renowned region, it is not only home to some of the oldest vineyards and wineries in Australia but produces some of its most recognizable and sought-after brands. A striking feature of the Barossa Valley's wine landscape is the presence of very old vines, proudly showcased on many wine labels and during vineyard tours.