2020 Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

2020 produced another outstanding, characteristic Margaret River vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon was a stand out variety with intense colour, fruit weight and aroma.
A blend of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec matured in French oak barriques (30% new) for a period 20 months. Totally opaque black dark red colour with a vibrant dark red hue. The nose delivers a classic Margaret River aromatic profile of red currant and mulberries intertwined with spicy vanillin cedar, tobacco, hints of black olive and bay leaf. Medium bodied the palate is layered with rich red currant and mulberry fruits which sit over a bed of vanillin cedar, tobacco, delicate earth, dried herbs and spice. Beautifully structured fine grained tannins finishing with length, grace and refinement.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 13.5%

Other Reviews…..
A charming wine and one of the finest Prelude Vineyards releases to date. There’s a fineness to this, subtly from the aromas and flavours to the palate. Medium bodied, supple tannins, a skein of acidity tying everything together and lengthening the palate. It’s a little deceptive, too, because there’s plenty of detail yet it's lovely to drink now. So I did. Drink by 2035.
95 Points
Jane Faulkner – James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion

This is an incredibly impressive Prelude cabernet. Look at the price, look at the quality: if Margaret River cabernet is your thing, get on board. First and foremost it’s a structured red wine, which is exactly as it should be. It tastes of blackcurrant, bay leaves, gravel, choc and mint, with some leafy herb/tobacco notes around about too. It doesn’t quite have the mid-palate concentration or presence for really high points but it comes ultra close, and it promises to drink beautifully both now and in the future. Buy. Drink 2024-2031+
93+ Points
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front

The 2020 Prelude Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is juicy and bright on the nose. Despite its glossy exterior, the wine maintains a freshly turned earth/bramble vibe on the nose, which directly places it as varietally true. A honing beacon, if you will. The moderate to warm 2020 vintage is responsible for the density of fruit flavor in the mouth. Very good. The drinking window is conservative, but it takes into consideration primary fruit, which I personally prefer, to some extent, in most wines. This is characterized by cassis, blueberry, salted licorice, summer raspberry and even a hint of star anise through the finish. Drink 2023-2033.
93 points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate