James
Halliday - Vintage: 2008 Score: 95 points
A
restrained and elegant wine, with red fruits, cedar and a suggestion of violets
the central theme; elegant, tightly wound and unevolved on the palate, showing
a slippery texture; the finish reveals the wine's true depth of personality
with structure in complete harmony with the fruit.
Source: winecompanion.com.au
Tyson
Stelzer - Vintage: 2008 Score: 97 points
We've all
been waiting, with bated breath, for just what Rob Mann is capable of in
Margaret River. Here it is, his third vintage, the season from the gods, every
single berry individually selected, in slick new livery. A classical but low
yielding year has produced gravelly, graphite-like tannins of Bordeaux
classed-growth proportions, promising longevity to match. Seamless black- and
redcurrants, cedar, tobacco, dark chocolate, coffee bean and cocoa never
deviate from medium-bodied aspirations, while subtly, accurately capturing the
concentration and precision of the season.
Source: tysonstelzer.com
Nick Stock - Vintage: 2008 Score: 97 points
Another
2007 from Margaret River that will be remembered as one of the greatest Cape
Mentelle cabernets of all time. Power and poise fused with conviction and
stunning value when you look around the globe at comparative cabernet quality.
A much-anticipated vintage of this leading Margaret River cabernet, and not an
ounce of disappointment. With smells of bright cassis and juniper, fragrant and
subtly floral, the cedary spicy oak adds a layer of class to this standout
wine. The palate's unthinkably poised: perfectly proportioned tannins carry
deeply ripe, sweet fruit with impressive power and impeccable grace. Like an
angel, this sits right at the top of the tree.
Source: Good Wine Guide 2011
Gary Walsh - Vintage: 2008 Score: 96 points
Redcurrant
and blackcurrant, subtle choc-vanilla oak and a bay leaf perfume. It's medium
weight, lively and fresh with finely etched pixelated tannin and impressive
flow and length. A second day's tasting revealed more complex, savoury earthy
mineral flavours. It seems to have been picked just on the cusp of perfect
ripeness to balance flavour with freshness. And I'm on the cusp too, caught
between a 95 and 96 point rating, although that's not an uncomfortable
situation in which to find oneself. I'd imagine it will cellar for a very long
time. All class.
Source: winefront.com.au
Price: AUD115 each (without shipping cost and tax)