Ranked #16 of 106 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Merlot Petit Verdot from Lower Hunter
92/100
4 Stars
Huon Hooke
(Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz / Petit Verdot / Merlot) Deep red/purple, very youthful, bright colour. Leathery earthy, somewhat animal aromas, possibly a Hunter Valley provenance asserting itself. Dried banana oak-derived elements, too. Medium-bodied and quite intense in the mouth, with a long palate and ample powdery tannins. Very young and needs time, but is full of promise. (50th Anniversary wine, 1963-2013) Postscript: another bottle tasted on 3/4/17 was badly cork-tainted.
Tasted: 15/06/2013
Drink: to 2031
96 Points James Halliday
An estate-grown 61/18/13/8% blend of cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, petit verdot and merlot. Great terra rossa soil, 50-year-old vines, and a top vintage have been putty in the hands of Rodney Kempe. Bright, clear crimson hue; there is a profusion of blackcurrant/cassis, black olive, spice and red cherry fruit, French oak seen but not heard, tannins so ultra-fine they are heard but not seen. Drink to 2036.
Source: James Halliday. March, 2013