Brand & Sons Sanctuary Coonawarra Cabernet 2019
- 97
- $150
- Drink by: 2023-2043
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From vineyards on the famous red terra rossa soil in central Coonawarra, planted in 1985. After destemming, the grapes are pressed directly to barrel. The wine spends two years maturing in French oak (mostly), half of which is new. Only 220 dozen made. This is the team’s prestige release and made from barrel selection. An opaque maroon colour, there is serious power and intensity here. Notes of chocolate, tobacco leaf, new leather, warm earth, blackberries, soy and aniseed. Supple texture, very fine tannins, an exemplary structure. The palate sees some delicious blueberries emerge. The wine is nicely balanced with great length and is a twenty year proposition – really impressive.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
