Before we start on this wine, the regional commentary on it’s brother wine stands yet again.
Someone argue me down about Orange’s Bordeaux grape focus, yeah?
This Signature Range Left Bank 2022 is a blend of Orange Cabernet and Merlot in a 60/40 mix. It’s the most convincing of the two Signature wines, with a blue fruit Cabernet potency driving the palate. Chocolate oak sticks out a bit, and no hiding a bit of capsicum, but this has a sense of choc mint class no doubt helped by low alcohol and fresh acidity. It’s only going to get better as well.
- Best drinking: now or in a decades time. Probably live for two decades.
- Score (out of 20): 17.7
- Score (out of 100): 92
- Alcohol %: 13.1
- RRP (in $AUD): 45
- Winery website: https://stockmansridge.com.au/
- Would I buy it?: a glass or two
THE VERDICT
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I love Cabs Sav & Franc from Orange. I bought a bottle each of the Left Bank & Right Bank while there but haven’t touched them yet. Maybe it’s a stylistic preference ? Rather than arguing you down I’d be interested to hear which ones you didn’t like and wouldn’t recommend.
I know you’re an Orange Cab fan – what’s your favourites, Simon?
The Highland Heritage reds are one I couldn’t warm too (but i like the sweet wines) and the Mayfield Cab blends also look green. Conversely, the Hoosegg and Bloodwood reds serve to prove me wrong.
Both the Mayfield and Highland Heritage vineyards are in the completely wrong spot for BDX varieties. Maybe in 50 years time with climate change they might be barking up the right tree.
That’s coming from someone whom had a chance to have a crack at making them for a few years. Fantastic burgundy and white Loire variety vineyards though.
The cold air just rips through that part of Orange and frost at both ends of the growing season is such a limiting/challenging factor to viticultural success.
That Highland Heritage site is so chilly. Palpable.
I was there a few weeks ago but to be honest mostly got whites this time around. Got 3 each of the Bloodwood cab sav and franc. Stephen also gave me a bottle of his 2017 Merlot, been a few years since that’s crossed my path. The Brangayne cab sav was great. As mentioned I haven’t cracked the Stockmans Ridge ones yet, also got the Mayfield ones but haven’t opened them either. Haven’t opened the Grape Pirates cab sav yet either. I love the F from De Salis. About 10-12 years ago they made a magnificent cab sav and straight franc. Charlie gave me a bottle of his 2012 Cab Franc when i was there. Really looking forward to that. Do you remember long gone wineries Belgravia and Prince of Orange ? Their cab sauvs were great, would love to know who, if anyone, is making cab savs from the grapes they used to use.
I remember Belgravia from 10+ yrs ago, couldn’t tell you where the fruit goes. The worst is when the vineyard just isn’t there anymore which isn’t unheard of in Orange.
Had a roast lamb for dinner so cracked my bottle of this. I agree with your comment about the chocolate oak, to my taste it smothered the fresh berry flavours I like in Bordeaux reds (I once told a winemaker out there that one of his reds tasted like purple, the look on his face was withering haha), but I didn’t get that fresh acidity you mentioned. Pity because I think that would have helped. Not a bad wine, the wife loved it.