2003 Yalumba The Menzies Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

The marketing department is restless again and yet another classic label destroyed for no good reason. Nonetheless the wine is a great example of Coonawarra Cabernet.

Deep crimson colour with deep crimson hue. Medium body. Aroma of cedar and cigar box, followed by spice and blackcurrant – an unmistakable Cabernet sniff. The palate has excellent weight and balance – elegant and refined, yet well defined. Flavours of cedar and cigar box become dominant. Fine grained tannins. Long aftertaste of cedar, blackcurrant and spice.
Cellar 4-5 years (2010-2011)
Alc/Vol: 13.5%

Other Reviews…
In general, I find Coonawarra a vastly over-rated region for Cabernet Sauvignon, with a few noticeable exceptions, one of which is Yalumba’s The Menzies, a Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 300 litre French and American hogsheads for 22 months. The 2003 The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon reveals gorgeous notes of creosote, blueberry liqueur, black currants, liquorice, and cedar. Full-bodied with great fruit purity, real stature, wonderful sweetness (from glycerine), ripe tannin, and a long, heady finish, it can be drunk now or cellared for 15 or more years.
94 points
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate #167 (Oct 2006)