Brown Brothers Patricia Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

There’s a certain modernity about this cabernet – more crimson fruited than many other darker, blackberry/currant focused variations. Perhaps it’s the impact of 28% higher altitude King Valley sources as well as a much smaller 6% Wrattonbully influence that drives this character, and all power to the winemaking team for respecting that. All this comes robed in a varietally typical coat of tannins, with no doubt some oak derived as well, suggesting this will be more than capable of drinking well over the next 5-10 years.

Jeni Port

95 Points
Always so consistently good, so in balance, Patricia Cabernet Sauvignon remains a cheerleader for the Cabernet grape variety. It needs it. Consumers heads are being turned left and right by a host of newcomer varieties.

A lilting leafiness throughout this wine, so Cabernet, it remains fine-boned and firm in structure but delightfully expansive in its fruit coverage. Textural warmth and mouthfeel; black fruits, licorice, undergrowth, Aussie bush notes, pepper and earth with supple tannins. This wine just glides.

Melissa Moore
Merivale

Like the shiraz, this wine is sourced from four Brown Brothers vineyards and is a perfect example of ripe Victorian cabernet done well. Classic herbal leaf, mint and eucalyptus aromas cajoles lush and ripe creme de cassis notes, with dried oregano savouriness and an edge of Dandelion and Burdock. It’s mouth-filling and powerful, has a firm but cohesive tannin grip and length for days. This variety has lost its groove with the cool set – this wine is not lo-fi or ‘crunchy’ – but will reward lovers of structural, classic and cellar-worthy wine. The dish? Guillaume’s daube of beef, Paris mash. Oh my.