2018 Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Shiraz

Rich, powerful and enveloping yet refined in it’s passage across the palate.

This is the sixth release of Yalumba’s flagship wine, the ‘Caley’ and it’s up there with their best yet. A classic marriage of two noble grape varieties sourced from two of Australia’s greatest wine regions, Coonawarra and Barossa it’s a blend of 80% Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Barossa Shiraz. The wine is matured for 20 months in a mix of 38% new French oak barriques with the balance in 1 year and older French oak barriques.
Midnight black heart with a deep dark red black tinged hue. Engulfing the olfactory senses are potent aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, plum, liquorice and violet which are complimented by spicy vanillin cedar, tobacco, earth and bay leaf notes. Rich and enveloping yet refined in it’s passage across the medium to full bodied palate are blackcurrant, liquorice, dark plum and mulberry fruits. Sleek, glossy feel with seamlessly integrated, fine grained tannins providing a great framework. Vanillin cedar, tobacco, earth, spice and subtle infusions of bay leaf extend across the back half. Powerful and expansive it finishes long and elegant.
Drink over the next 10-15 years.
Alc. 14%

Other Reviews…..
The Caley has quickly established itself as a benchmark for the classic cabernet/shiraz blend. In 2018, it's 80/20% Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon/ Barossa shiraz matured for 20 months in French barriques (38% new). The melding of both variety and region is compelling and captivating. Beautifully poised blackberry and blackcurrant lie sympatico with plum and dark cherry. Notes of cedar and tobacco with fine spices, gentle herbal tones, dried citrus blossom, pencil case and cinnamon. Picture-perfect fruit depth, powdery mineral framework and harmony in all aspects of its composition, leaving the impression of a wine at the top of its game and one destined for a long life in the cellar. Drink by 2053.
98 Points
Dave Brookes - James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion

The fruit for the 2018 The Caley Cabernet & Shiraz comes from Coonawarra and Barossa. The Cabernet Sauvignon (80% of the blend) is sourced from four blocks within the same estate-owned Coonawarra vineyard, and within that are two clones. The Shiraz (20% of the blend) is a combination of Eden Valley (15%) and Barossa fruit (5%). All handpicked and destemmed, the fruit parcels are kept separate in the winery and fermented wild in a selection of fermenters. It spent 10 days on the skins, then was pressed off to Yalumba-coopered barrels (in the main) and matured in a total of 38% new oak. It offers dusted blood plums, dark raspberry, cocoa nibs and licorice on the nose. It is composed and restrained, with a hint of toasted oak shining through the abundant fruit. In the mouth, the fruit is abundant and purple, shaped by a casket of firm tannins that assist in the flow of wine over the tongue. It is cohesive, powerful and resplendent. This is a very smart wine, one with pleasure built into its core. This is drinking beautifully now; it has polish and gloss, but it is savory (peppered roast beef crust), which makes it a little chewy and balances the fruit. This is an exciting wine, one that speaks of the classic Australian blend of "Cab Shiraz" in a respectful way, but it cannot hide its polish and modernity. Long lived plus. 300 dozen made, 14% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax. Drink 2023-2058.
97 Points
Erin Larkin – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate