2001 Henry's Drive Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (1500ml)

ELECTRICALLY CHARGED RED VINUOUS POWER FROM 2001 HENRY’S DRIVE – A TRIUMPH FOR SPARKY & SARAH!

One of the most exciting new developments on the Australian Wine scene – ‘electrically charged’ you might say – has been the creation of Henry’s Drive wines. The wines are made by the dynamic husband and wife team, Sparky & Sarah Marquis, who were responsible for the creation of Fox Creek wines in McLaren Vale.
Henry’s Drive vineyards are located in Padthaway and owned by the Longbottom family, third generation farmers and viticulturalists.
The region is a picturesque plain approximately 80 km North of Coonawarra in South Australia, and was first settled in 1847 by Robert Lawson. Padthaway’s climate is Mediterranean while its soils consists of red brown earth over clay and limestone; as unique as Coonawarra’s own world famous ‘terra rossa’ and rendzina soils. The population of Padthaway remains tiny, with 218 residents. Conversely, 3500 hectares (nearly 9000 acres) are planted under vine and oddly enough, the region also produces 8500 tonnes of onions annually! It was not until 1963, when Karl Seppelt purchased land just South of Padthaway that the region became established as a grape growing district proper. Soon after, in 1968 Lindemans and Hardys followed Seppelt’s lead, and today Australia’s leading wine companies either own vineyards or purchase grapes from the district. The ‘electric excitement’ associated with Henry’s Drive Wines all began at Roseworthy Agricultural College. It was there, on their first day that Sparky and Sarah fell in love at first sight. The partnership has since been a huge success.

There is an aspect of the couple’s winemaking that never fails to excite and their motto has been to create wines that incite a “Wow!” response. The 2001 Henrys Drive Reserve Cabernet and Reserve Shiraz are very much “Wow” wines, supercharged with the electric exuberance and voluptuous flavour that Sparky and Sarah seem to deliver on such a consistent basis. Inspiration and perspiration are their allies, with the final results being a summation of their winemaking philosophy which states that 90% of the quality of wine is a direct result of vineyard practise, with the balance determined by vision, planning and emotional commitment. This month we have chosen to run both the Reserve reds for the Vintage Direct front cover due to their exceptional quality. It’s not that we can’t make up our minds, it’s that they are both winemaking triumphs.

THE 2001 VINTAGE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA SURPASSES EVEN THE GREAT 1998 VINTAGE!
THE RESULT IS A PAIR OF OPULENT, SUPER CONCENTRATED FRUIT BOMBS & A COLLECTOR’S MUST!

2001 vintage conditions in Padthaway were very hot, necessitating very strict vineyard management programs. The timely application of water, minimising vine stress during flowering and variason are vital in order to maximise flavour profile, and avoid overripe fruit or jammy character. The 2001 Henrys Drive Reserve Cabernet was matured in a combination of 30% French oak and 70% very fine grained American oak.

Tasting Notes: The masters of the fruit bomb Sparky Marquis & wife Sarah have produced an exceptional Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Opaque purple colour with crimson hue. The nose displays intense aromas of blackcurrant, spice, violets and confectionary notes. The palate is a voluptuous fruit bomb with mouthfilling flavours of plum, blackcurrant, liquorice, confectionary, chocolate, toasted oak and spice. Excellent palate weight and concentration, and as one has come to expect with Sparky’s wines there is no shortage of juicy rich ripe fruit. The wine displays incredible length and aftertaste with fine grained tannin structure. A superb cabernet and a great example of the sort of wine that can be produced from a vintage of the calibre of 2001.
Cellar 5-8 years. (2008-2011)
Alc/Vol: 14.5%.

RATING: 97/100

VALUE: XXXXX/5