Belgravia
Orange Cabernet Sauvignon
Orange, Central Ranges, New South Wales, Australia
I found this wine very challenging to evaluate. It is an example of a more austere Cabernet style (cool climate?) that I’m as yet not overly familiar with.
An elegant Cabernet with a strong blackcurrant and herbal bouquet with a hint of mint and some volatile mineralality showing through.
Medium bodied. Some fruit sweetness on the front of the palette quickly giving way to slightly bitter and grippy tannins, with an astringent stemmy finish. Layers of blackcurrant and dark chocolate lead to a spicy acidity predominating over any residual sweetness. There is good complexity and length to the finish, but I find myself fighting that astringency. The wine tasted much more balanced with food than without, but needed plenty of breathing time to properly open up.
There are no obvious faults in the wine, although it is not a style that immediately endears itself to me. I found the wine more enjoyable the longer I had to come to terms with its complexity. It would probably cellar very well, but I don’t know that it would find a place in my limited cellar space.
I found this wine very challenging to evaluate. It is an example of a more austere Cabernet style (cool climate?) that I’m as yet not overly familiar with.
An elegant Cabernet with a strong blackcurrant and herbal bouquet with a hint of mint and some volatile mineralality showing through.
Medium bodied. Some fruit sweetness on the front of the palette quickly giving way to slightly bitter and grippy tannins, with an astringent stemmy finish. Layers of blackcurrant and dark chocolate lead to a spicy acidity predominating over any residual sweetness. There is good complexity and length to the finish, but I find myself fighting that astringency. The wine tasted much more balanced with food than without, but needed plenty of breathing time to properly open up.
There are no obvious faults in the wine, although it is not a style that immediately endears itself to me. I found the wine more enjoyable the longer I had to come to terms with its complexity. It would probably cellar very well, but I don’t know that it would find a place in my limited cellar space.