Xanadu Vinework Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

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.