97/100 James Halliday

96/100 Huon Hooke

95/100 James Suckling

Top 5 Cabernet Sauvignon's of 2015 - The Real Review - Huon Hooke

Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards

James Halliday - 5 Red Star Winery

James Halliday "This has an extraordinarily long finish and after taste, built on varietal purity.  It's ethereal, a word I cannot remember using for Cabernet.  The texture too is exceptional, the oak absorbed into the wine essence."

Huon Hooke "Deep red/purple colour, with a superbly intense bouquet of violets and blackcurrants. Oak has been sensitively handled. The tannins are fine-grained and soft, the concentration outstanding without sacrificing the elegance and finesse of the wine."

Peter Forrestal "Fraser Gallop Estate has made a bigger impact on the Margaret River wine scene than any other winery established since the region's early days."

Ray Jordan "There is no doubt that Fraser Gallop Estate is now right up there with some of the pioneering producers in the Margaret River region for the quality of the wines."

James Suckling "A luscious and generous, barrel-fermented, pure cabernet shows ripe and solid nature, combining intense, currant and berry character with soft and velvety tannins. Shows intensity and composure. Such a powerful yet fresh wine."

Made from 100% cabernet sauvignon that was both fermented and matured in 100% new 500l puncheons.

Celebrated Fraser Gallop Estate is one of Margaret River's premium wine producers. They have won many awards, including the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards International Trophy for Best Bordeaux blend and nine gold medals for their Cabernet Sauvignon since 2007. The next time you find yourself in Margaret River, their hauntingly beautiful vineyard – and cellar door – is well worth a visit. It was recently described by Helen Young in The Australian newspaper as “spectacular in autumn but impressive in any season”.

Palladian is Fraser Gallop's flagship wine. This 2015 Palladian Cabernet is the finest example of Palladian so far with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes entirely in French Oak barrels from the very beginning with destemming the chilled grapes straight into the new French Oak barrels and fermenting, rolling and plunging then maturing the wine in the same barrels. The wine has definitely taken on an extra dimension and lifted a level with texture and oak integration making the wine more seamless on the palate.

It is medium bodied with scents of dark and red berries, a suggestion of gum leaf, notes of pencil shaving, tobacco, and cedary oak. It is characterized by the wonderful texture that provides a graceful expression of pure, refined Cabernet fruit. The tannins are gentle and unobtrusive; oak is boldly integrated and the fruit is expressive and vibrant. The finish has a persistent fruit core and lingering structural feel, which will allow the wine to open early and age well.

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, a coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.