Cabernet Shiraz The Caley, Yalumba 2013

A beautiful wine in all respects, its heart soft and generous, its head stern and serious, the combination as complete as it is complex. It tastes of an assortment of red and black berries, tobacco and cloves, with tremendously well integrated smoky oak and plenty of tang, tannin, flavour and run through the finish. An exhibition in both power and elegance. Cork Permitting, it will mature gloriously.

Made only in high-quality vintages, this was the second release of The Caley, combining 55% Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra with 45% Shiraz from the Barossa and Eden Valleys. In this combination, the Cabernet enjoys an assertive role, guiding the texture and flavour notes, before Shiraz chimes in to add mid-palate heft. Matured for 20 months in 41% new French Barriques, with the rest in older French oak barrels, it’s an opulent, rich red symphony with plum supported by blackberry, wrapped in a seamless palate that strikes glorious harmonious notes. The nose remains particularly enticing, rich and assured but still dancing energetically, while the long, unwavering acid line draws flavours to a beautifully tapered finish, still bound by confident but unobtrusive tannins. (Drink between 2025-2045)

A blend of 55% Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Barossa Valley Shiraz, Yalumba's 2013 The Caley is only the second vintage to be released. Aged in 40% new French oak, it features fine, aristocratic aromas of pencil shavings, mint and dark fruit. Cassis, baking spices and hints of meat and mint come forth on the palate. It's medium to full-bodied, with rich, velvety tannins that remain firm and lasting on the finish. I tasted this from a bottle that had been decanted the previous night, so you'll want to give it plenty of air, or ideally, just cellar it for another five years before broaching a bottle.

2013 is a powerhouse, with density, structure and presence, but it is not a heavy wine! Instead, this is a cerebral, through-provoking number with layer upon layer of savoury, noble fruit. The differences between the yin and yang of these two vintages is also evident in the blend. 2012 was made of 79% Cabernet (of which 27% was Barossan and the lion’s share was from Coonawarra) and 21% Barossa Shiraz. In 2013 KG marries 55% Coonawarra Cabernet with 45% Barossa Shiraz. This is a more ‘historical-Aussie-claret-shaped’ wine and the extra splash of Barossa Shiraz helps to bring flesh to the upright, masterful Cabernet. Drink 2021 – 2050