Xanadu Vinework Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
- 92
- $30
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90% Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and a splash of Merlot. Aged in 20% new French oak for 14 months. Lovely lift and vibrancy, with sweet pops of mulberry and crushed violet leading before blackcurrant juice, bay leaf, mocha, baking spices and pencil shavings. The palate is plush and juicy, those same notes quickly wrapped in a corset of firm, grainy tannins. A gentle wash of acid through the finish freshens things up. Big structure — this needs food to absorb an assertive tannin profile at this stage, or five years in the cellar to settle into a nice groove. Either way, a lot of wine for $30.
Tom Kline is a wine writer, reviewer, presenter, and educator based in Victoria, Australia. He is the Australian correspondent for the internationally respected publications Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy and Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux, where he highlights the top tier of Australian wine for a global audience. Tom also writes for leading outlets including Decanter (UK), Wine Spectator (US), and Halliday Magazine, among others. An experienced wine show judge and WSET educator, he has authored several consumer-focused wine courses aimed at making wine more accessible and engaging. In 2023, Tom was awarded Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column at the prestigious Wine Communicator Awards, presented by Wine Communicators of Australia.
