A blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with about 20% Cabernet Franc and a little Merlot.

Deep ruby core with some rusty browns in the edges. Opened with a distinct animale edge, hinting at low level brett, but this seemed to give way relatively quickly to some very ripe currant and plum with savoury touches of cedar, mint, fennel, autumn leaves and hint of licorice as a top note. Pretty damned noice. The medium- to full-bodied palate reveals layers of plush, ripe red and black fruit over a delightful savoury backdrop, relatively low acidity and some quality fine-grained tannin. It finishes long with a sweet and sour resonance that worked pretty well, if not a little confected to my liking. Overall an excellent example of a Clare Valley Cabernet blend. 90 points. I’ll be drinking my remaining bottles over the next several years.

Walked into Woolies after work, bought a few groceries, badly in need of a refreshing cold ale and, goddamit, this wine’s staring me in the face for $15.98 by the six pack! Just had to buy one, take it home, give it a good breathe and post a TN.

Dark ruby/purple. Excellent varietal/regional nose of weedy, herb-tinged blackcurrants, freshly turned earth, cedar, a little mint and that indelible mix of older US and French oak that has worked so well with this label over many years. Medium-bodied palate offering a smooth, velvety entry harnassing plenty of ripe blackcurrant/plummy fruit, a touch of black olive, subservient savoury/cedary oak input, beautifully judged acidty, ripe, marginally chalky, firmish tannins, terrific length and an expansive, authoritative finish that, collectively, achieves an Outstanding rating.

This is a perfectly balanced, high quality Coonawarra Cabernet with an excellent medium- to long-term cellaring potential that’s drinking pretty darn well right now. Crystal-balling the mind-set of the winemaker, Sue Hodder, and the reported “corporate goal” of re-establishing this label to former glories, I suspect this Black Label is well and truly back on the “desired track” and worthy of a place in any serious wine lover’s cellar. 92 points. Drink 2010-2018+. Fantastic QPR! 13.5% A/V

12.5% A/V. Cork closure. Superb level and virtually no seepage up the cork.

A brilliant offering, equivalent to a top Second Growth from a very good year. A beautiful crimson/garnet colour holding right to the edge. Wonderfully pure, savoury nose of superripe currants, blackberries, a subtle leafiness, cedary oak and a hint of licorice and spice box. Top shelf. The palate delivers an identical level of excellence - silky mouthfeel, perfect weight and a fantastic equilibrium difficult to emulate. Copious quantities of succulent fruit (aka the bouquet) mesh, seamlessly, with terrific fresh, bright acids and a gorgeous, melting fine tannin regime to produce a complete package. Finishes with such aplomb, I had to pinch myself and check that this was, in fact, from the Yarra Valley! Outstanding verging on Exceptional. What a wine! Although at the zenith, I can’t see similarly kept bottles falling over in a hurry. Wow! 94 points

Tuesday night I got to try a masked 2001 Seven Hills Clare Valley Riesling - most impressive - revealing a youthful straw/green colour, terrific aromatics of lime, herbs and the first vestige of toast, honey and kero. Brilliant mid-palate of lime pastille, mineral with a moderate/long dry, crisp departure. 91 points. Drink now-2011. Cork sealed.

I followed with my masked bottle of 1996 Seppelt Dorrien Cabernet - Outstanding wine really coming in to its’ own - deep colour, robust nose of savoury/vanillin/coconut oak, dark plums, chocolate, Asian spices, cedar and herbs - all beautifully integrated. The palate displays plenty of extract, glossy choco-berry fruit, plenty of supporting cedary/savoury oak, good acidity and very fine lacey tannins. Lovely smooth, rounded mouthfeel, extraordinary balance and a lengthy authoritative after-taste. 93 points. Drink now-2016.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from mature vines nestled in the foothills of the Victorian Alps just north of Beechworth, this outstanding wine rekindles similarities to top-flight French Chateaux, hinting at the probing depth and structure of a Leoville-Las-Cases, the silky elegance of Pichon-Lalande with some of the fragrance and sheer class of a top Margaux. Intriguing scents of violets, sandalwood, bitter chocolate, green olives, cedar, Asian spices, forest floor and a strong undertone of cassis intermingle with well-integrated savoury/vanillan oak. In the mouth this wine displays medium body, excellent delineation, glossy blackcurrant- and herb-tinged fruit, a nice dollop of savoury oak, admirable purity and tremendous length with surprisingly crisp acidity and the finest of ripe tannins rounding off a terrific expressive conclusion. Needs another year to fully resolve and should drink exceedingly well for perhaps another five. 92 points. 13.0% A/V          

Christie and Peter Shultz have produced a very good rich, chocolatey wine off ancient vines located at Tanunda in the Barossa Valley in nineteen-ninety-nine. Still holding a solid deep red colour, the bouquet houses a fair whack of seasoned French oak imparting savoury notes of chocolate and mocha. A little touch of cigar box adds complexity. Autumn leaves and a hint of dried herbs add a nice varietal touch to the equation. Mostly blackberry and plum fruit underneath. The medium-bodied palate delivers a smooth, mouthcoating texture, low acidity and soft, ripe tannins on a relatively long, satisfying finish. The fruit and oak have meshed superbly offering up flavours of dark chocolate, plum with a distinct “sweetness”. The savoury/coffee oak seems more subdued here, although the flavour profile probably says more about the climate/region than the variety. Drinking extremely well now and for a few years to come - 88 points - Very Good, verging on Excellent. 14% A/V, and sealed with a pathetically small cork.

Readers familiar with my musings over the years will attest to my predilection for this winery. The decision to axe Dorrien as a “stand alone” label after this particular vintage has prompted a similar level of vehemence, but in this case, only dismay, for what I and many others consider to be an icon of the Australian wine industry. Since its inaugural vintage of 1971, Dorrien Cabernet represents the very best of what can be done with this grape variety in the warmer viticultural climes of the Barossa Valley. The decision from the corporate masters for Seppelt to cease production of this “jewel in the crown” and to concentrate solely on a “Victorian” portfolio has baffled me to a state of virtual senselessness. Recent alarming reports of Southcorp selling off the fortified division based at the magnificent historic Seppetsfield winery and, hence, well over a hundred years of world class winemaking heritage should only appease our concern once the operation is in safe hands, hopefully with the masterful James Godfrey still at the helm.

The 1999 Dorrien displays a vibrant deep ruby/purple with a polished hue, a bouquet featuring a gorgeous array of chocolate-coated black plums and currants, Provencale herbs, a little cedary/sandalwood character with a fair dollop of beautifully-judged toasty malty/savoury/vanillin oak providing weight and backbone. The palate has finally dropped some of its earlier oaky rawness, exhibiting a wealth of chocolatey black fruits, smooth texture, relatively understated acidity and some top-class fine-grained tannin on a protracted and most satisfying finish. A lovely wine and a fitting tribute to almost three decades of great wine folklore. 92 points. Drink now-2014.  

Holding a very deep ruby with only a touch of brick in the edge. Quintessential minty Coonawarra Cabernet bouquet of weedy blakcurrants, spicy/cedary/savoury oak, freshly turned sod, fresh sweet corn, some leafiness and a hint of lift at the death. The medium-weight palate continues the high standard with gorgeous flavours of dusty blackcurrants, complimentary savoury oak, some menthol/mint regional character, lively acidity and some grainy, firmish tannin. Seemingly needs more time to fully mesh and soften. Excellent resolute finish with much promise for the long haul. Amazing wine for what it is. 92 points. Drink now-2016 13.5% A/V

Drunk the remainder of the bottle 24 hours later with the firm tannins/finish smoothing out beautifully. Not a sign of oxidation either. Super wine!