2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Hickinbotham Vineyard
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Tasting notes
If the Sandown represents this estate’s Mouton and the Brookman their Lafite, the even more backward, tannic, ageworthy, inky/blue/purple-colored 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Hickinbotham is their Latour. Made from 50-year-old vines planted on rocky, shale-based soils, it offers up aromas of creme de cassis, graphite, chocolate, coffee, and tobacco leaves. This powerful, rich, full-bodied effort needs at least 4-5 years of cellaring, and should keep for two decades or more. It is one of the few Clarendon Hills wines to be aged in 100% new French oak. None of these cuvees is fined or filtered. Importer: Wine Brokers Unlimited, tel. (866) 416-9463
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Average Score
Robert Parker
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Inky ruby. Powerful, deeply scented, brooding aromas of cassis, blueberry, kirsch, tobacco and spicecake. This offers unreal concentration and structure, with youthful, primal dark berry and cherry flavors that expand and deepen with air. Ridiculously sweet but focused on the very long finish, which shows impressive lift and poise for a wine with such flavor drama. Wow!
About the producer
Based in the McLaren Vale, Clarendon Hills has been one of the pioneering names in Australian wine. Focusing on single-site expressions of individual grapes, working with old dry-farmed vineyards, it has become one of the world’s leading producers, best known for its iconic Astralis Shiraz.