Ranked #2 of 17 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Merlot Petit Verdot from Lower Hunter
95/100
5 Stars
Huon Hooke
Deepish red/purple colour, not dark but bright with a very good hue. The bouquet is dominated by charred oak at this point, but there may be some coal-dust Hunter character there as well. There is bright red berry fruit in the centre and the wine is medium to full-bodied and very elegantly tailored. The tannins are fine and tight and balanced, the overall structure and flavour superbly cast and poised. This is one of the best young Folly cabernets I've tasted.
Tasted: 16/05/2018
Drink: 2020 to 2036
95 Points James Halliday
Despite the challenges of '16, this is a sublimely elegant, crunchy wine, mid-weighted and aplenty herbaceous, while brimming with the urgent drinkability of a Loire red. This said, there is not an iota of cabernet franc in the blend! It is the usual understated cabernet-led cavalry, with petit verdot and merlot in minor roles. This is a Super Second vintage rather than a Premier Cru, but boy is it a delightful meld of currant, sap and finely tuned, svelte tannins. Drink to 2032.
Ned Goodwin MW. June, 2021