2016 Xanadu Black Label Cabernet (Jimmy Watson)

95 Points - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

“The 2016 has a diagonal gold band with The Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy Perfume, baking spice, mint, boysenberry, milk chocolate. Medium-bodied, perfume and dried herbs in a core of red and black fruit, open weave but fine grained tannin, fresh and bright, but with a good amount of bass. Finish is long and well-defined, the tannin lending confident grip as it goes down. Excellent.”

95 Points - James Halliday, Wine Companion

“Includes 5% malbec and 3% petit verdot, crushed and destemmed, a wine of many components, mainly small batch ferments (static and open fermenters), pumping over and plunging, part extended maceration (4 weeks), matured for 12 months in French oak (40% new). Focused and powerful, the deep but bright colour a come-on. Cassis is given context by cabernet tannins, which are firm, not dry.”

94 Points - Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate

“Italian mountain herbs begin to emerge from the saltbush and licorice that adorn the nose of the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh plump fruit on the palate does nothing to obscure the powerful tannic drive that this wine is in possession of. As with many of the 2016s, this has eons to go. Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy at the Melbourne Wine Show for this vintage.”