2022 Mystery Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Deal No. 6349

This Coonawarra estate built itself around Cabernet. More than three-quarters of its vineyard is Cabernet. The estate has been releasing it since the late 1970s. This bottling sits a rung above the estate’s long-running flagship Cabernet. Only its newer reserve blend sits higher. The house style puts fruit ahead of oak, and you can taste that here. The 2022 season was a cool one, and the grapes took their time to ripen. Ray Jordan scored it 96 points. He found deep, opaque colour, blackcurrant and dark berries, and the fine leafy lift that marks out good Coonawarra. He also liked the firm thread of tannin, which he likened to limestone. His verdict was that it’s built for extended cellaring, yet balanced enough to enjoy right now. Winepilot puts its drinking window out to 2045. So here’s our suggestion. Split a dozen down the middle. Drink six this winter and leave six in the cupboard until 2035. You’ll get to taste what a decade does to a Cabernet this well built.