2016 Hickinbotham Clarendon Cabernet Sauvignon

97 POINTS

Huon Hooke - The Real Review

Deep, intense, youthful red/purple colour, the bouquet gorgeously loaded with blue and black fruit aromas, blackberry, blackcurrant and blueberry, with a lacing of violets. The wine is full-bodied and extremely elegant, with perfect ripeness, beautifully modulated fruit and tannins, and subtle oak handling. A thoroughly delicious cabernet, accessible right now but with the potential to mature gracefully for many years. Winemaker Chris Carpenter thinks this is his best cabernet yet.'

96 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday's Wine Companion

Hand-picked, destemmed but whole berries, open fermented on skins 18 days, basket-pressed, only free-run juice, new and 1 year old Bordeaux barrels, aged 15 months. It's tempting to pour a glass immediately and savour it, for everything from the fruit, cedary oak, tannins to its acidity are in total balance.'

93 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

Fair bit of gum leaf perfume, and a truffle and flower water pong, mocha, blackcurrant and blackberry. It's medium bodied, with a blend of sweet black fruit and undergrowth and savoury things, a touch meaty and the like, but with fleshy tannin and a solid finish. A little old school in its delivery but very nice, and almost certainly age-worthy.'