2021 Mystery Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Deal No. 6407

Every barrel of this 2021 Cabernet had to earn its place. The maker hand-picked its lowest-yielding Coonawarra sites. Then they tasted barrel by barrel and kept only the best. They only make it when the fruit is extraordinary, and 2021 qualified. That season gave Coonawarra good winter rain and steady warmth without heat spikes. There was barely any rain at harvest, so the fruit came in clean. Critics around the country have been talking up 2021 ever since, and Huon Hooke scored this one 98 points. In the glass it’s intense blackberry and leafy cassis, with violets and toasted cedar on top. The palate is dense and powerful, packed with black and blue fruit and held by refined tannins. Jeni Port also found red earth, thyme and aniseed, and noted it opens up with a little air. It comes from a five-star producer with Langton’s classifications, one regarded as a crusader of modern Australian wine. This sits at the premium end of their range. The maker says it will reward ten years or more in the cellar. Buy six, open one at Christmas with a splash of air, and leave the rest for the 2030s.