Three Aussie Cab blends

Grosset Gaia 2006
Clare Valley; 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot
Opaque bright purple. Closed and dense, some herbaceousness, subtly spiced sweet wood, some lovely boiled veg (like green beans). Quite a lovely palate that’s ultra-smooth yet has some vegetal notes and good (yet not jarring) acidity, plus a tiny lick of sweet oak in the finish. Well put together but needs time, I think, to show all it has to offer. Definitely some depth and interest in there, yet with characteristic Aussie fruit.

Vasse Felix Heytesbury 2005
Margaret River; Cab Sauv, Malbec, Petit Verdot, 17 months in French oak
The nose initially showed some pleasant green wood (near herbaceous notes) along with over the top of syrupy-sweet blackcurrant fruit. There’s a touch of lifted florals and quite a lot of vanilla too. The next day the whole package seemed even “sweeter” with blatant and crude vanillary oak. It had a reasonably solid palate with very well judged acidity, fine tannins, and really sweet oak. Perhaps drinking it this young was a bit of a waste but I still feel that, even with age, this wine would just be too “sweet” (the fruit, the oak) for me.

Knappstein Enterprise Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Clare Valley; 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc (I believe)
Pleasantly understated fruit flavours, with a sweet vegetal note like sweet pea (which I find really interesting), coal (which I often get of Knappstein Cabs), a faint waft of bonfire embers, and a touch of cardamom and cinnamon spice. Perhaps even some cocoa and eucalypt. The nose was well balanced; as was the palate, with well-judged acidity and good length.

[Jenise]

Grosset Gaia 2006
Clare Valley; 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot
Opaque bright purple. Closed and dense, some herbaceousness, subtly spiced sweet wood, some lovely boiled veg (like green beans). Quite a lovely palate that’s ultra-smooth yet has some vegetal notes and good (yet not jarring) acidity, plus a tiny lick of sweet oak in the finish. Well put together but needs time, I think, to show all it has to offer. Definitely some depth and interest in there, yet with characteristic Aussie fruit.

Vasse Felix Heytesbury 2005
Margaret River; Cab Sauv, Malbec, Petit Verdot, 17 months in French oak
The nose initially showed some pleasant green wood (near herbaceous notes) along with over the top of syrupy-sweet blackcurrant fruit. There’s a touch of lifted florals and quite a lot of vanilla too. The next day the whole package seemed even “sweeter” with blatant and crude vanillary oak. It had a reasonably solid palate with very well judged acidity, fine tannins, and really sweet oak. Perhaps drinking it this young was a bit of a waste but I still feel that, even with age, this wine would just be too “sweet” (the fruit, the oak) for me.

Knappstein Enterprise Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Clare Valley; 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc (I believe)
Pleasantly understated fruit flavours, with a sweet vegetal note like sweet pea (which I find really interesting), coal (which I often get of Knappstein Cabs), a faint waft of bonfire embers, and a touch of cardamom and cinnamon spice. Perhaps even some cocoa and eucalypt. The nose was well balanced; as was the palate, with well-judged acidity and good length.

Interesting note on the Vasse Felix, because I don't remember that much sweetness on VF's, a producer I've liked a lot in the past. This sounds almost gobby--so is that the vintage, a change in direction of the winemaking, or a change in my perception of what this producer makes?

Interesting note on the Vasse Felix, because I don't remember that much sweetness on VF's, a producer I've liked a lot in the past. This sounds almost gobby--so is that the vintage, a change in direction of the winemaking, or a change in my perception of what this producer makes?

I wouldn't call it gobby, just "sweet" and dull. I was quite dissappointed, as I really like the VF Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (which I don't find overly "sweet" or ripe).