Zonte’s Footstep Blackberry Patch Cabernet 2022
G 91
As the colour shifts towards a brick hue, the nose tells a different story. A youthful, energetic herbal character still prevails, with blackcurrant leaf and spearmint hovering above blackberry and black plum, spiralling into more developed notes of cedar, ground tobacco, and cloves. Chunky tannins frame the fruit core perfectly, briefly giving way to that herbal side, and finishing with their unmistakable bitter quality. Drink now–2032 Angove Family Winemakers Chardonnay 2024 G 90 Layers of fresh cream, pastry dough, gently toasted Brazil nuts and vanilla set the stage before the fruit reveals itself. Then it’s pink grapefruit, Golden Delicious apple, and poached pear topped by a hint of cinnamon. These creamy layers and delicate sweet/spice notes give the palate structure, focusing the drinker’s attention and naturally calling for food alongside the glass. Drink now–2028 Byrne Vineyards Flavabom Vine Dried Shiraz 2024 Mulberry, red plum, boysenberry and dark cherry take centre stage, yet this is far from a punch-in-the-nose style. Instead, it is multilayered and well calibrated, with lifted aromatics of fragrant red flowers and cracked vanilla pod weaving through the fruit. The palate reveals a bit more of the richness of its whopping 16% alcohol, a level where Port- or Amarone-like tones and structural identity can come into play. Full-bodied and larger than life, it can still be thoroughly enjoyed alongside the right protein pairing. Drink now–2030 Springs Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 G 90 Kangaroo Island Cabernet is one of those region and variety marriages of note, here from a cooler vintage with distinctive mint and bay leafed aromatic characters, with a poke of elderberry fruit flavour in the palate and a soft under-layering of tannins. For those who like a herbal edge to their Cabernet, this will hit the mark. Drink now–2030 Byrne Vineyards Thomson Estate Vine Dried Shiraz 2022 It opens with a clear spicy-brambly character, evoking cinnamon and freshly ground pepper. The profile then deepens into dried fruit notes of prune, chocolate-covered date and grilled bacon. Generous, thick and layered with sweet fruit, it conveys a buoyant, full-flavoured style of drinking. Drink now–2027 G 90 G 89
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The Vintage Journal
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