2017 Quintet

I saw this wine blind recently (in a largely international tasting) and could not place the variety or region. I can see why here today: the fruit in the 2017 Quintet is almost unbelievably red fruited. It is buoyant and supple and speaks eloquently of raspberry seed, black cherry, red apple skins, blond tobacco, hints of sweet roasted meats (distant wafts only), enoki mushroom and red miso; the experience is inchoate and thrilling in equal measure. In isolation, perhaps, it may be easy to assume that the wine, given its age versus purity quotient, is simple. But given what we know about the capacity for aging carried by this vineyard/cuvée, I'd say you were grievously mistaken to judge it in that manner. This is a sleeper wine and one that hasn't even started to show us what it is capable of. It's a superstar. 13% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot. Aged for 22 months in oak (60% new barriques). Rather evolved garnet. The weakest colour. Slightly simple, muted nose. Smells more like textbook Cabernet Sauvignon than a rounded blend. A little pinched and firm. Mount Mary? Quite a bit of acidity and a bone-dry finish. Tannins still in evidence and the fruit is low key. Probably seems quite sophisticated in an Australian context… A little light. (JR)

45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot, all kept separate until the end of the first year when they are assessed. Those lots deemed unsuitable for Quintet go into the Reflection label that has been produced every year since 2013. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the nose of this youthful wine at the moment that is relatively elegant. Noble and savoury but embryonic. Light tannins and a gentle touch but still tightly wound. (JR)