2022 Yalumba The Cigar Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

Rich and long with a well fleshed yet grippy conclusion.

Sourced from Yalumba’s famed Menzie’s vineyard, the name ‘Cigar’ is derived from the unique cigar like shape of Coonawarra’s famous terra rossa strip. Maturation takes place in a mix of new French oak hogsheads, barriques and Hungarian oak hogsheads and one year old American oak barriques with balance in older French, American and Hungarian oak for a period of 16 months.
Impenetrable inky black heart with a very deep dark red black tinged hue. Red to black currant, mulberry and red liquorice aromas emanate from the glass followed by some vanillin cedar, subtle earth and bay leaf notes. Rich blackcurrant, mulberry and red liquorice fruits flood the mouth carrying with them medium to full body weight. Excellent concentration and freshness with a sturdy tannin structure lending firmness to the back half. Spicy vanillin cedar, earth and bay leaf accents form across the back half. Long, well fleshed yet grippy conclusion.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 14%

Other Reviews…..
Named for the strip of Terra Rossa soils shaped like a cigar that runs through Coonawarra. As it is with the power of suggestion, the Cigar invokes the savoury spices of tobacco, cedar and sandalwood. It's layered with bilberries, blackcurrants and prunes, too. Some coffee and poppy seed tones. It is a wine in the Yalumba line-up that stands out for its heavily laden spices and muscular tannins. Oak is significant and will allow the wine longevity in the cellar. If you gravitate to the seduction of quality fruit and richness of oak, this is for you. Drink by 2034.
95 Points
Shanteh Wale - James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion