We are still exploring Australian Cabernet Sauvignon during our Thursday night tastings at Fine Wines of Stockton. This time we tasted wines from the state of South Australia. This is a big area with several different climates where they grow just about every varietal there is in Australia. About one half of the wine grown in Australia is grown here, including famous brands like Penfolds Grange, Jacob’s Creek and Yalumba.
There are sixteen distinct wine regions in South Australia and you will find the Barossa Valley with Shiraz, the Clare Valley known for Riesling and McLaren Vale for Shiraz, Grenache and some Italian and Spanish varietals along with Cabernet Sauvignon.
We tasted six Cabernet Sauvignon from South Australia. Two were from the Barossa Valley, two from Coonawarra and two were blends of Cabernet from different regions within South Australia. For a look around Southern Australia, check out this travel guide.
2008 Rosemount Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – This blend from different properties is a dark ruby-garnet color. The nose had dark fruit with a bit of cedar. Flavors of dried fruit and plums. Smooth tannins with good acid. This wine is not very complex and there was no obvious oak influence but the flavors were nice with a pleasant finish.
2007 Wolf Blass Presidents Selection Cabernet Sauvignon – This blend of different areas had a rubber tire nose and ripe fruit and smoky flavors with tobacco and ripe fruit. A lot of acid and grippy tannins. Not well balanced to my taste. Tasting with some cheese brought the wine into balance. This was the favorite wine of the group.
2009 Jacobs Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – From Coonawarra the color was a dark ruby-garnet color. There was a minty nose with red fruit and slightly vegetal flavors with dark fruit. Moderate tannins with a lot of acid. Finish is short with mostly the flavors of tannins and acid.
2009 Jim Barry “the Cover Drive” Cabernet Sauvignon – Also from Coonawarra on the red soil of the “Cigar Strip”. The color was a dark ruby. The nose was somewhat stinky initially with mint underneath and dark fruit. After a few minutes the stinky part blew off leaving just the mint and fruit. There was mint, smoke and dark fruit flavors. Plenty of grippy tannins with good acid. Better balanced wine, less acid.
2009 Earth Works Cabernet Sauvignon – Now we moved on to the Barossa Valley. Again the dark ruby-garnet color. The nose was complex with fruit and a vegetal quality. There were complex ripe fruit flavors with spice. Good acid and a lot of tannins. A nicely balanced wine.
2008 Langmeil Black Smith Cabernet – Another wine from the Barossa valley. Dark ruby color with smoke and rubber tire on the nose. Smoky, ripe dark fruit flavors with plenty of tannins and good acidity. The finish was long with flavors of the wine. The Langmeil was the second favorite of the group.
Comparing these wines to the ones we tasted last week from Margaret River showed the different styles the two areas have. I would say the Margaret River wines were more restrained and a more elegant style. The South Australia Cabernet’s were a little more fruit forward, though not as big as many California Cabernet Sauvignon.
To Nancy’s taste, some of the South Australia wines were too acidic. That made them seem out of balance for her. She did enjoy the minty nose and flavor of the Coonawara wines. She also appreciated that none of these wines were over ripe. Although the alcohol on these wines is over 14%, none show the heat of the alcohol.
After tasting the six wines we and several others preferred the Cabernet’s from the Margaret River area we tasted last week. Just a different style is all. We did note the Margaret River wines were enjoyable on their own while the South Australia wines were better with food.
