Elderton Cabernet Sauvignon Ashmead 2021 750ml

The 2021 season in the Barossa was long, mild and devoid of major viticultural pressures. It was, in short, a magnificent season that yielded a tranche of balanced and harmonious wines. Here, the 2021 Ashmead Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is balanced and a little minty, with dried herbs, purple berry fruit, layers of licorice, freshly turned earth and arnica. It smells and tastes like the place—Barossa can hardly escape its pronounced regional characteristics of concentrated fruit and earthy tannins, and as drinkers, nor would we want it to. The tannins that shape the wine in the mouth and through the finish make for chewy, chalky drinking, and this is certainly a highlight as I see it. Texturally, the wine is quite gritty yet polished, and the oak seems to sit well within the confines of the fruit. The alcohol is evident in this wine; it has a warmth and “fumé-ness” to the finish. Admittedly, some may love that character. 14.7% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

• Country: Australia
• Region: Barossa
• Appellation: Barossa Valley
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red
• Alcohol by Vol: 14.5%

Varietal

Cabernet Sauvignon

By far and away the most recognized and widely grown red wine grape varietal in the world is the Cabernet Sauvignon. First cultivated in the 18th century in France, this wonderful cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes has long since been the most important varietal for red wines across the globe. Now grown everywhere from its native France to the furthest reaches of the New World, Cabernet Sauvignon is adored and prized by wineries for its hardiness and resistance to rot, as well as its large and sharp flavors and wonderful capability for fine aging Indeed, many of the finest wines of history and the modern age would be simply unimaginable without Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with the famed wineries of Bordeaux and other important regions using it as the primary grape in their oak aged produce. High tannin levels, acidity and powerful flavors are the characteristics most commonly associated with this varietal, however, when blended and slowly aged, it is capable of a world of flavors and aromas unmatched by any other grape.