Fraser Gallop Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Fraser Gallop Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Margaret River, WA)
$30, Screwcap, 14.5%

Winner of both the Decanter trophy for best Australian Bordeaux blend over 10 pounds and international best Bordeaux blend over 10 pounds, which is a fine effort for a $30 wine, produced from a 9 year old (at the time) vineyard.
Traditional, yet still contemporary packaging only enhances the overall appeal.

Good to see.

In the glass, the Fraser Gallop Cabernet Sauvignon is a dark purple red, tending more purple towards the rim, looking ripe and youthful. It is the nose that, I believe, is the element that won this wine the trophies. It is such a classic, cedar & blackcurrant, varietally correct, deliciously aromatic thing that would have impressed the judges even in a large class of similar Cab blends. The only mild distraction is a waft of volatility.

From here, the flow through the palate is again spot on. It’s dry, medium bodied and driven by classic (there is that word again) tannins and a quite rich, blackcurrant liqueur mid palate. The mid palate is just a little too ripe, but the linear tannins through the finish tighten everything up pretty quickly.

Quite simply, this is a delicious Margaret River Cabernet that thoroughly deserves its trophy wins. It perhaps doesn’t have the raw impact, complexity or cellarability of Moss Wood or Cullen, but it doesn’t have the pricetag either.

Beautifully correct Cabernet for drinking now and over the medium term. Excellent value too. 18.2/93