Gralyn Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

A wine built for distance not speed. Here is a glimpse into a classic Margaret River interpretation of cabernet sauvignon that, for one reason or another, is not especially common today.

You see it in the winemaker’s confidence in releasing an eight-year-old wine. This is old school, the kind of thing producers did matter of course before the Australian tax rules changed, and wineries could no longer hold stocks at low values while they aged. The repeal of Section 31A of the Income Tax Assessment Act in 1973 changed Australian wine styles, especially red, and the industry has been fighting a losing battle ever since for its return.

But, back to the wine . . .Rather than lush and opulent, it’s straight backed. Savoury, too, with the scent of leather and soil, red fruits, clove, cinnamon with a well-defined Margaret River leafiness. it fulfills the varietal descriptor to a tee within a classic Margaret River context. You suspect it’s still got a lot up its sleeve in reserve, so to speak.