Charlie Elliott

9.1

No harm in that — 5 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

First found this wine probably 11 years ago at the Annual Cape Mentelle Cabernet tasting where Cape Mentelle pits their wine against leading Cabernets from around the world including Bordeaux, Napa, NZ, and other Australians. On this occasion the 2008 vintage. This Houghtons stood out on the day. Dense in colour Barb said pitch black. Dusty cassis notes - oak is there but it doesn’t dominate - balanced and delicious. — 3 years ago

Ken Z

8.9

Drank 12/21/21

Black currant, baking spice, and hint of green pepper on the nose. Black currant, black cherry, and a bit of peppercorn are supported by medium plus tannins. Nice fruit on the medium finish.

3/22/7/4/3 +50 = 29 — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.7

Wine No. 8 in the field of 8 Cabernets from the 2009 vintage tasted blind and it proved to be the consensus Winner by a narrow margin over the Les Forts. I loved this and the Palmer 8 years ago at the Cape Mentelle tasting and they remain stunning wines. A wonderful perfume of red flowers, plums, and earth. Medium to Full Bodied with great length. Two of the tasters, long time wine professional, Ken Gargett and Dr Mark Welsh ( head of the Chevaliers in Australia) each gave this wine 98 points. This was Margaret River at its best. Bravo Woodlands and the Watson Family!! — 6 years ago

Louise Krepp

9.3

Paid $21 on special. Usually $45 ?
Really good. — 6 years ago

Keith Watson

9.3

West London Wine — 7 years ago

Tamara

9.3

West Point Market Bubbley tasting $17.99 — 8 years ago

Kishan Tsang

9.8

One of my all time favourites.

Last one of 2021 left in the collection. Fell in love with this wine in 2022 during a dinner at La Colombe. Great characterful wine from the west coast. You can taste it’s origin in the briny/kelp like taste with a bit of stone fruit, chamomille/jasmine and a touch of fennel/anise. Always a bit lower on the alcoho and acidityl, which makes it a great early drinker. Can’t wait to try the 2024 with 99 points. — 8 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

8.9

58% Shiraz with rest of the blend icluding Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Mourvèdre, Nebbiolo and Graciano. Light salmon pink color. Aromas and flavors of fresh strawberries, raspberries, watermelon and rose petals. Additional Touch of lemon zest, minerals and saline on the pallet. Very fruit forward on the finish. Noticeable acidity. Bright and refreshing. — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.1

Brilliant silver-straw. Lime zest, honeysuckle, succulent herbs and chalky minerals on the incisive nose. Dry, tightly focused and lithe on the palate, offering intense citrus and orchard fruit flavors that reveal a hint of waxiness and a refreshingly bitter quinine note. Shows a delicate touch and finishes clean, nervy and quite long, with resonating mineral character and a hint of lemon thyme. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, July 2021)
— 5 years ago

Jordan Yu

9.4

Big, Long and Creamy — 6 years ago

Louise Krepp

9.9

Nice and light, almost like a pinot but full bodied flavor. I like it. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

Notes of Capsicum (red pepper), mulberry and leafy notes. A good entry level Cabernet from Xanadu. Medium bodied with all the characteristics of quality Margaret River Cabernet but a little detuned. Xanadu is one of the up and coming wineries in the west winning major trophies on the Show Circuit like Deep Woods Estate who are challenging the established Margaret River hierarchy like Moss Wood, Cullen, Woodlands, Vasse Felix, Cape Mentelle, Leeuwin Estate etc etc. — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

I generally like South African Syrah as I do this one but it could have come from anywhere in the west. Soft and smooth with M intensity. This description generally applies to most airline wines which tend to be chosen to be easy to like, not to offend and tend to be middle of the road. For the amount that the charge for Business Class Airfares it is not good enough to be serving wines which cost sometimes as little as $25 as Qantas does. They should all be in the $80 to $100 range. An exception tends to be Champagne - the Drappier Rose on Qatar was very good. — 8 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.0

The OZ classic blend of Shiraz and Cab. 60/40. Dark plum skin color. Aromas are enjoyable with a bit of wet gravel, flint and red/black fruits. Wood oil on the end. Flavors are complex and big. Plums, figs and black colored berries/cherries. Bit of menthol (or is that eucalyptus?). This is a classic, well made Australia red. Full and enjoyable, but not fruit bombed or too much of anything. — 9 months ago

Vanessa

9.1

Cheers to old-vine Chenin Blanc from South Africa! 🇿🇦 In South Africa, Chenin Blanc also goes by the name “Steen.”

It’s such a versatile grape and wine, capable of producing beautiful sweet, dry, still, and sparkling wines.

This wine is still and dry. We’ve paired it with sushi and it’s a delightful duet.

The grapes for this wine were grown organically in the Citrusdal Mountain district, north of Cape Town, west of the Olifants River, on the Western Cape. The bush vines were originally planted in 1957 (old!!), contributing to an intensity and a concentration of primary aromas and flavors in the grapes.

Indeed, the nose and palate offer medium(+) aromas and flavors of ripe pear, yellow apple, white peach, vegetal, boxwood, white blossom, crushed stone, and aged cheese rind notes. Lively acidity gives it lift and balances the high alcohol and intensity of fruit.

This wine was produced by Ginny Povall, American-born proprietor and self-taught winemaker of Botanica Wines. I love the botanical images on her labels, each an homage to the flower farm on which she began her wine production journey in South Africa.   

Botanica Wines, Chenin Blanc (Mary Delany Collection), 2019, ABV 14%. — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Marcus Weber

9.0

Skin macerated wine (8 days) from Swartland, West Cape. Floral and spicy, macis! And bit sandy character and well balanced tannins. 
Dazu: Tajine: Lamm - Mandeln - getrocknete Pflaumen / gerösteter Blumenkohl - Salzzitrone - sehr junge Minze / Karotte - Kreuzkümmel - Orangenblüte / couscous
& nick cave — 5 years ago

Hermes Cuello

9.1

Outstanding wine! — 6 years ago

Kate McEntee

9.1

Lovely blend — 6 years ago

Keith Watson

9.1

West London Wine/Streatham Wine House — 7 years ago