De Bortoli Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (Yarra Valley, Vic)
13%, Screwcap, $?
Source: Tasting
www.debortoli.com.au

Like the new livery? This is the brand-new packaging for the ‘Estate Grown’ De Bortoli range, with more prominence given to the Dixons Creek vineyard source (which was planted in 1971).

Apparently Steve Webber thinks 2012 was perfect for Yarra Cabernet (according to Leanne De Bortoli) and if this is an indication he’s probably right.

That nose alone screams ‘see! The Yarra is great for Cabernet’ with its lead pencil fruit/oak, dusty notes, blackcurrant and even a little mulberry leaf. Underneath it’s linear and fine, driven by acidity and precise, powdery, sexy tannins. It’s perhaps a little full through the mid-palate, but otherwise the structure and lines are ‘well tailored suit’ snug.

Fresh, lively and well built, this is an utter success in my books.

Drink: 2013-2030
Score: 18.5/20, 94/100
Would I buy it? Yes.