Henschke Marble Angel Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

This is a wine for those who enjoy cabernet sauvignon, and have the time, space and inclination to provide this youngster with some cellaring time. This is also a wine for those who drink Barossa shiraz and wonder what all the excitement is about with Barossa cabernet.

The Light Pass area in the Barossa, where the fruit for this wine is sourced, brought some pretty generous, ripe fruit to bear in 2019. At 14.5% alcohol, Marble Angel is not shy in character. The tannins are pliable, and the fruit more apparent and approachable accordingly. There is joy here for those who want some flesh in addition to structure in their cabernet immediately upon release. It’s here in black cherry, bitter chocolate, dried herbs and wood spice. There’s a light savouriness, too.
Delightfully firm, not too much. Just enough. Drink now or age for a time. Your call.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic