Richland Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Richland is one of the brands to come out of the Westend winery, which itself has recently been renamed as Calabria Family Wines, a nod to the founding Calabria family who founded Westend. I opened this wine up with no expectations and didn’t even try it before sticking it in the fridge and forgetting about it. Two days later it came back out and still looked good – a massive win for a $12 wine.

Actually, I had to do a triple check as it just didn’t seem right – this is quality-wise a $18 wine, not $12. What sets it apart if the oak enriched, full and grainy palate and flow through the mouth. Sure it’s not graceful or elegant and is a bit raw, but it does feel like real Cabernet, complete with real tannins and a real finish.

You could do an awful lot worse for $12! Really good value…

Source: Sample
Tasted: February 2014
www.richlandwines.com.au
Score: 16.5/20, 88/100
Would I buy it? Probably not. A robust recommendation though.