Our Thursday night tasting this week at Fine Wines of Stockton was Australian Cabernet Sauvignon from the Margaret River area. Margaret River is in the state of Western Australia and is considered the Bordeaux of Australia. The climate is Mediterranean and very much like Bordeaux in France though drier in normal years.
Grapes for wine have only been grown in the Margaret River area since 1967 so it is fairly young compared to other areas in South Australia. Even with well over one hundred wineries most are still boutique producers and they only produce about 3% of Australia’s wine.
2009 Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon – Dr Tom Cullity in 1967 was the first person to plant vines in the Margaret River area. He named the the vineyard Vasse Felix. Thomas Vasse was a sailor lost at sea in the area in 1801 and Felix means happy or fortunate. I don’t quite get the connection, however. The wine was a dark ruby color with a dark fruit and green pepper nose. Vegetal flavors of green pepper and fruit with significant tannins with good acid. Drinks well now.
2007 Plantagenet Cabernet Sauvignon – A very dark ruby color and it had ripe dark fruit and dried fruit on the nose. The flavors were ripe fruit with a slightly medicinal hint. A slightly bitter finish with tannins and lots of acid. Some described the bitterness as similar to unsweetened chocolate.
2008 ring bolt Cabernet Sauvignon – This was a dark ruby color and there was a little Jalapeño pepper on the nose with some dark fruit and leather. The flavor was red fruit, eucalyptus and bell pepper with significant tannins and good acid. I thought this was very Bordeaux-like. This was the favorite wine of the group.
2008 Robert Oatley Cabernet Sauvignon – Very dark ruby color with a stinky nose initially which blows off to show a bit of mint and austere fruit flavors. Good acid and moderate tannins. Overall, austere and elegant wine with a very light body and good flavor. Good food wine. The Robert Oatley and the Leeuwin tied for second place.
2006 Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon – Dark ruby color like the rest of the wines with a fruit, vegetal and Jalapeño pepper nose There were dried fruit flavors with good acid and a light mouth feel. Moderate tannins. Overall a smaller version of the previous wine.
Overall these wines were very good. Some rather expensive and some very affordable. If you haven’t had wines from the Margaret River area of Australia you should try to find some to try yourself. It is always nice to leave a wine tasting and not have tasted a wine you did not like.
Now that is a good local Margaret River line up of Cabernet Sauvignon. Margaret River is well renowend for this grape and we have been fortunate to have some outstanding years recently, put some away in the cellar of recent years and you will be sure to have a winner. Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon has to be my favourite but the price means it is not an every day wine. Thanks for sharing and love to hear what you think of our whites too.
Thanks for the comment. It seems your comment got put in the spam bucket but I have rescued it from oblivion.
It would be interesting to to try some whites from Margaret River. Are there any you can recommend that we might find here in the US?
Too bad you don’t have a good glass to drink it in 🙂
We are tasting Cabernet Sauvignon from South Australia this Thursday. Hope they are as good.
Good stuff, Pete. That’s another tasting I would have enjoyed attending. You made me realize that a good big red tonight would be a savory treat.