2020 is looking like a very interesting vintage and the south-east (Coonawarra and Wrattonbully) could be the standouts, although many of the wines need time and are wrapped up in a ball of tannin so 2020 is a cellaring kind of year.

Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2020
$32 – Drink 2027 to 2034
92 Points

This Cabernet Franc, blended with 8% Shiraz, has a real Bordeaux feel to it rather than the usually prettier style of Cabernet Franc often see here in Australia – it’s tightly wound and built for the long haul. Savoury aromas slowly emerge with cocoa, graphite, blackcurrant and choc-mint folded into classy oak. Tannic and muscular, there is also excellent density of flavour packed with long blackberry and spicy fruit. But it’s the robust drying tannins that define this wine that demand ageing or slow roasted beef, if you must, over the next five years.

Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2020
$60 – Drink 2030 to 2038
93 Points

While the Terre à Terre Cabernet Franc had a distinctive graphite edge, here we go much deeper into brooding gravelly fruits, the tannins also a step up in class. It’s powerful yet composed – blackberry, mulberry, gravel and chocolate aromas are lifted by layers of cedar and peppery spice. A robust core of tannins are then offset by massive fruit intensity which underpins a long, firm finish. It’s another wine that would be a shame to open without at least under ten years under its belt.