Pertaringa Rifle & Hunt Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
- 94
- $40
- Drink by: 2022-2032
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Before one starts thinking that this has been made for the NRA, the name is far more prosaic. The Pertaringa property sits at the corner of Rifle Range and Hunt Roads in McLaren Vale, not that the occasional conspiracy theory ever hurt sales! The wine spent twenty months in French oak, 30% of which was new. Dark maroon. The nose offers notes of dry herbs, bay leaves, spices, licorice, leather, bell peppers and blackberries. For me, not quite as refined as the Understudy but some will prefer this. The tannins are slightly more furry and gritty than with the Understudy. Certainly has great promise, will improve over the coming years so a decade will not trouble this wine.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
