Majella Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ~ Coonawarra South Australia

95/100 Campbell Mattinson (Halliday) (2018 vintage)
91/100 Huon Hooke (2017 vintage)
96/100 James Halliday (2016 vintage)
92/100 James Suckling (2016 vintage)
96/100 James Halliday (2015 vintage)
89/100 Robert Parker (2015 vintage)
95/100 James Halliday (2014 vintage)
95/100 James Halliday (2013 vintage)

James Halliday 5 Star Winery

Winemaker "The wine is dark magenta in colour, with a deep ruby red hue. Mint, eucalypt, dark fruit with savoury, toasty aromas are paired with a fresh, structured palate of mint and cassis supported by classic mulberry and plum characters. Fine tannins and good length."

Campbell Mattinson (Halliday) "Pristine blackcurrant and bay leaf flavours come whispered with toasty, cedar wood oak. Truth is though that it tastes of Coonawarra and of cabernet sauvignon and of not much else, in the best of ways. Essence of the variety and of the region. It draws confidently through the palate and is satisfying and then some through the finish."

James Halliday "Powerful, rich, concentrated, complex and - as is the wont of cabernet sauvignon - may bite you with tannins or some other painful lesson. Well, that doesn't apply here, because the wine has too much in its favour as it rolls out endless velvety carpets for your teeth to rest on." (2016 Vintage)

James Suckling "The depth of blackcurrant aromas and flavors here is impressive. Focused and powerful palate. Drink or hold. Screw cap." (2016 Vintage)

Huon Hooke "Very deep, brilliant purple/red colour with a pungent leafy, minty, cassis bouquet, the palate bright with crisp refreshing acidity and firm but balanced tannins, the finish smooth and gently pleasing. It’s very much a fresh, bright-fruit style of cabernet. The acidity is on the high side. Peppermint echoes on the aftertaste." (2016 Vintage)

James Halliday "This hits the bullseye, a great example of the synergy between place and variety. Its colour is good, as is the bouquet, and that arrow arrives the moment the wine enters the mouth. It has waves of luscious, juicy red and black fruits that fill every corner of the palate, tannins and oak doing the job expected of them." (2015 Vintage)

Robert Parker "The medium-bodied 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon features opening aromas of mint or eucalyptus, cassis and maybe even a trace of pickle brine. Crisp, tangy, open-knit and easy, it's a solid representative of the region, loaded with flavor, even if it lacks a bit of refinement. It should drink well through 2025." (2015 Vintage)

Aus Cellar Door "Long regarded as one of Australia's finest Cabernet makers, Majella consistently deliver a top line example of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2015 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon is again in fine form; rich and juicy with plum, blackberry fruits and fruitcake-like flavours all on offer on this complex palate. As ever the finish is long with wonderful, soft grainy tannins offering excellent structure." (2015 Vintage)

Gourmet Traveller Wine (Dave Brookes) ~ "... the winery consistently produces some of the best wines in Coonawarra. At the top end, they tend to be opulent and plushly fruited with beautifully judged use of oak. At the entry level, they burst with fruit and are good value for money." (2015 Vintage)

Wine Spectator ~ "AUSTRALIA'S EDGE. How the land Down Under scores so well with so many wines. It's about the producers, big and small, that make value a priority without sacrificing quality. It's about wineries like Majella..." (2015 Vintage)

The Winemaker ~ "The palate is complex, with rich plum, blackberries and cassis flavours, well balanced tannins and fine oak with a long finish." (2014 Vintage)

Majella is one of the most awarded small Australian wineries. It is family owned and based in the famous Coonawarra wine region of South Australia. The Coonawarra wine region is characterised by its soils, known far and wide as “terra rossa” - literally “red earth”.

The Coonawarra “terra Rossa” forms a long, linear shape, little more that 20km long, and in parts only a few kilometres wide.

This soil is regarded as one of the premium viticultural soils of the world and Majella is fortunate that its vineyards are situated on the eastern edge of this famous “red strip”.

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.