Wine & Spirits - October 2019 - 57

Wine&Spirits

MALBEC
124356

91 | Vinaceous

Our Score
Definitions

$18

2017 Margaret River Voodoo Moon Malbec (Best Buy) ^ Malbec's violet and blackplum tones get a lift from this wine's coastal
acidity. It's a juicy, spicy red with stamina, a
little tense and reductive for now, needing a
splash in a decanter and a grilled strip steak. §
Negociants USA/Winebow Imports, NY
124470

91 | Franklin Tate Estates

RED BLENDS
124269

94 | Vasse Felix

$165

2015 Margaret River Tom Cullity Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec ^ Tom Cullity planted
the first vines at Vasse Felix in 1967, starting
with cabernet sauvignon and malbec at his
eight-acre parcel near Caves Road in Wilyabrup. Virginia Willcock and her team now
tend to the descendants of those vines, producing this top selection under Cullity's
name. It's a complex and elegant Margaret River classic, refreshing for all its supple
richness. There's a note of anise to the spicy
scent, a cool sense of tilled earth in the dark
tannins. Associate Editor Rachel DelRocco
Terrazas commented on how long the flavors last: "All the freshness and tannins work
together and leave my mouth super happy." §
Negociants USA/Winebow Imports, NY
124349

93 | Woodlands

$50

2016 Margaret River Clémentine Woodlands Brook ^ The Watson family planted cabernet sauvignon on a parcel of gravel and clay
soils at their Woodlands Brook Vineyard in
Wilyabrup in 2009. That young-vine fruit
makes up 55 percent of this blend, combined with malbec, merlot and petite verdot
from vines planted earlier in the decade. It
all came to beautiful ripeness in 2016, creating a bright young red with the otherworldly
harmonies of Western Australian birdsong.
Plummy and tense, enriched by the chocolate notes picked up from 18 months in
French oak barrels (35 percent new), this
will develop well over the next few years. § Vine
Street Imports, Mount Laurel, NJ
124735

92 | Voyager Estate

$26

2017 Margaret River Girt By Sea Cabernet Merlot (Best Buy) ^ Fresh coastal cabernet combines with strawberry-bright merlot
in this clean, fragrant red. It feels lithe and
bright, lasting with spicy scents of cumin and
beach rose, balanced to serve at a cookout. §
Hudson Wine Brokers, Los Angeles, CA

$16

2017 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Best Buy) ^ It's hard to imagine a clean, floral and elegant cabernet blend
with hints of cool mineral complexity selling
for $16, and it's worth buying a case of this
one. It's light, with anise and raspberry notes,
and with some agave-like greenness that suggests serving it slightly chilled, with a salad of
grilled steak. § Indigo Wine Group, Venice, FL
123344

91 | Walsh & Sons

$29

2016 Margaret River Lola ^ This is mostly
syrah and cabernet from the Walsh family's
vineyard in Osmington, on the east side of
Margaret River; Ryan Walsh adds some grenache to brighten the blend. It's a bold red
with tension to its black raspberry flavors and
grace to its supple texture. The cool, zesty
acidity makes the tannins feel like broken
rock. Pour it with herb-studded roast lamb.
(W&S 2/19) § Wine Dogs, Brooklyn, NY
124351

91 | Woodlands

$25

2017 Margaret River Woodlands Cabernet
Franc Merlot (Best Buy) ^ This grows at the
Woodlands Brook Vineyard in Wilyabrup,
a property the Watson family purchased in
2007 and added to their original Caves Road
estate. The vines, planted in the early 2000s,
produced a ripe wine with plum-skin flavors
highlighted by some green notes. The tannins are a little brash, ready for steak frites. §
Vine Street Imports, Mount Laurel, NJ
124706

$13

2017 Margaret River Siblings Shiraz (Best
Buy) ^ Here's a steal: A juicy, raspberry-scented
shiraz that's bright and savory, tense and
refreshing. Pour it cellar temperature with
veggie burgers. § Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA
124725

88 | Miles From Nowhere

100
Transcendent
A wine that speaks directly from
the earth, communicating the
flavors of its place with unequaled
complexity and intensity; it will
offer pleasure for decades.

96 to 99
Astonishing, Rare
A wine that saturates the senses
with flavors that feel unique
and thrilling; a rare
landmark for its region.

93 to 95
Exciting, Distinctive
A wine that transcends simple
typicity to its region or variety-a
vivid, singular expression of place.

90 to 92
Delicious, Compelling
A compelling wine of its region;
a delicious, finessed
expression of a place.

88 to 89
Delicious, Representative
Well-made, pleasurable and
true to its region or variety.

SHIRAZ

88 | Leeuwin Estate

W&S scores are based on
quality and distinctive regional
character, to help you find
delicious wines grown and
made with integrity.

$15

2017 Margaret River Shiraz (Best Buy) ^ As
plump and rich as this wine is, it's also tense
in its scents of roses and stems. It's a meaty
approach to shiraz, built for grilled lamb. §
Saranty Imports, Stamford, CT n

85 to 87
Balanced, Crowd Pleasing
Identifiable in style and regional
character, and qualitatively solid.

80 to 84
Useful
Simple wine that will either
quench thirst or play a
useful role at the table.

http://www.franklintateestates.com.au/wine/franklin-tate-estates-cabernet-merlot/

Wine & Spirits - October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - October 2019