Parker Estate 95 Block 2021

Combines Cabernet Sauvignon (74%) with Petit Verdot (26%) and the two Bordeaux grape varieties seem to really hit it off. The outstanding vintage helps, as does the tannin management. Petit Verdot can be a bit of a repeat offender when it comes to high, aggressive tannins, but here the tannins are ripe and savoury and in total harmony. Blackberries, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf, red earth and cigar box, smoky, woodsy spices abound. The 95 Block blend, sourced from a sub-section of Parker Estate’s Abbey Vineyard, arrives as a complex whole, well-rounded and integrated. The potential for further ageing is incredible, to put it mildly, but that dusty, earth, smoky spiciness and solid fruit appeal is mighty tempting now.