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2021 Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon
$45.00
$270.00
7096 in stock
From our most awarded label of wine, the 2021 Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon offers a core of inky berry fruits; boysenberry, blackcurrants and Satsuma plums.
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- Viticulture
- Tasting Notes
- Winemaking
- Professional Reviews
- Related Wines
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Viticulture
Cabernet Sauvignon (90%), Malbec (6%), Petit Verdot (4%) |
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2021 |
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Margaret River |
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We had a great summer leading up to vintage, although a rain event about a week or so before the start of harvest lead to some unusually humid conditions (for Margaret River at least). Careful fruit selection in some vineyards was required as a result of the humidity, despite experiencing good weather during the white harvest. The end of the whites saw a bit more rain, which was then followed by fine weather for the rest of March setting up the Cabernets nicely. In summary 2021 was a more challenging season than usual, however the extra work in the vineyard ultimately paid dividends with some wonderfully elegant wines being produced as a result. Fruit for this wine was predominantly sourced from the Margaret River subregions of Wilyabrup (40%) and Wallcliffe (44%). Of this Wallcliffe fruit, 39% is from our Xanadu & Stevens Road vineyards. This is augmented along with fruit from the Treeton subregion (8%), and a portion from a vineyard in Yallingup (8%). |
Tasting Notes
Deep red with ruby hues. |
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The wine displays vibrant, characteristic Cabernet aromas of cassis, mulberries, and blue fruits entwined with hints of mocha, nori, and potpourri. |
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Full-bodied yet refined, the generous palate offers a core of inky berry fruits; boysenberry, blackcurrants and Satsuma plums. Dense and well-structured, the palate is layered with these dark fleshy fruit characteristics and ripe tannins which culminate through to a persistent Cabernet finish. |
Winemaking
14.00% |
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750ml |
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3.55 |
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Fruit was crushed/destemmed before predominantly small batch fermentation in a combination of static and open fermenters. Fermentation takes 7-8 days @ 24 – 26o C, during which the cap is managed using a combination of aerative pumping over as well as regular plunging by hand. After fermentation 20% of the components experienced a period of extended maceration on skins before a very gentle pressing. MLF takes place in a combination of tank and barrel. The wine was matured for 14 months in French oak (40% new barriques) before the blend was assembled prior to bottling. |
Professional Reviews
96
95
Year in year out this cabernet delivers – even in difficult years such as 2021 (rain events and high humidity during harvest). If anything, this is quite tight and needs more time in the cellar, if you can’t wait, decant. It reveals an exuberant fruit profile, given its youth, from mulberries and cassis to blackberries all offset by complex savoury notes, think nori, iodine and tapenade, a flutter of spice, too and a little smoky. It’s fine boned in a way, as it’s just medium-bodied with filigree tannins, neat acidity and a radicchio bitterness to finish. I kept coming back to this wine – it unfurled in the glass but also, a few days later, still impressive.
94
Deep and rich ruby from core to rim. Blackcurrant, tobacco leaf and wakame aromas. Medium to full weight of black fruits fills the central channel of the palate, running off this we see a dark seaside minerality and hints of tobacco and cedar. Great length, built by firm yet ripe tannins that control and drive without overpowering. This all leads to a very long and lingering finish.
93
Blue and black fruit, mocha, pimento, menthol and aniseed, some violet perfume, dark tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, juicy dark fruit, tobacco savouries, bright acidity, with firm chewy tannin, and a slight bitterness on the finish.
91
Inviting aromas of violet, lavender and blackcurrant framed by fresh tobacco notes. Very compact on the palate, showing tension.
Review
Xanadu's Cabernet Sauvignon is bright and supple, yet has a dry and somewhat tight feel, and has an attractive personality that is somewhere between Napa Valley and Bordeaux.
Review
[This wine] packs depth and intensity into its framework … and it is built for the long run, so there is no need to rush to open this wine. Made from 90% Cabernet, 6% Malbec from Stevens Road and 4% Petit Verdot, this wine is as far from a slab of Cab as you could imagine, and I can let you into a secret here. No Reserve Cabernet was made in 2021, so all of this fruit ended up in this incredible wine. So, for a sub-£30 price, you have £70+ Cabernet lurking within, and this makes perfect sense when you look deep into the complexities and gravitas in this glass. Stick this away for a few years, and you will find a wine of uncommon class and value in your possession.
