2021 'Quarry Road' Cabernet Malbec

Cabernet sauvignon (77%), malbec (18%), cabernet franc (5%); 15 days on skins thence to used French hogsheads for 7 months. An attractive medium to full-bodied palate reaffirming the Clare Valley’s synergy with this graceful Bordeaux blend.

Bright purple and very youthful in the glass. Aromas of plum, blackberry, pastilles, eucalyptus, dried herbs and a touch of leafiness. The flavours are bold, satsuma plum, cedar, dark cherry, dark chocolate, ironstone and a touch of meatiness. The tannins are serious and structured and give the wine firmness, grip and savouriness. A sleeper.

This has aromas of ripe berries, plums, redcurrants and a leafy thread, too. The blacker, malbec fruit drives the palate, with blackberries sitting plush into the finish.