Thorn & Clarke Bona Fide Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

For reasons unknown, there seems to be some prejudice against Cabernet from warmer regions. Sure, it is different, but so often, when done well, it offers delicious wines, full of flavour. Case in point. The grapes here, from a single vineyard, were destemmed and then fermented in four-tonne open fermenters, for ten days. The wine was then pressed into ten-year-old oak for a further maturation of a year and a half. It was bottled without filtration. The St Kitts vineyard may be seen by some as not bullseye Barossa, but you’d never know (or care).

Inky magenta in colour, we have notes of spices and cocoa powder amongst the aromas. Black cherries, licorice, cloves and black olives with some tobacco leaves – this is big and bold. Classic Barossa. Delicious, richly flavoured with fine tannins and a lingering finish, there is an excellent balance between the fruit, tannins and acidity. It will continue to give pleasure for at least the next six to eight years. This may not be your typical cool climate Cabernet, but so what! Love it.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

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.

Wine writer and critic