Brown Hill Perseverance Cabernet Merlot 2020

To identify Margaret River’s best vintage is a bit like trying to identify Sir Don Bradman’s finest innings. Too many fabulous ones from which to make a selection. That said, 2020 in Marg River might just be their version of 334 at Headingly. The grapes for this wine were carefully sorted, before undergoing discrete fermentation in stainless steel fermenters and then transferred to French oak barriques (35% new) for 18 months. The best barrels are then selected for blending.  This is deep purple in colour. Nicely balanced, this wine has everything in its place. The nose offers a delightful blueberry note as a highlight, but there is far more to it than that – aniseed, blackberries, coffee grinds, spices, plums and chocolate. There is good focus here in this carefully structured wine with lovely, soft, silky tannins on a lengthy finish. It will drink well for six to eight years with ease.