98 POINTS
Ken Gargett - Winepilot
The great Aussie red blend is done magnificently by one of our oldest and most accomplished wineries. As well as blending Cabernet and Shiraz, this is a blend of two of our most iconic regions, Coonawarra (for the Cabernet) and the Barossa (for the Shiraz, obviously). 2018 was a cracking vintage and time in the cellar has only added to the complexity. This vintage, the blend is 80% Coonawarra Cabernet and 20% Barossa Shiraz. The wine spent 20 months in French oak barriques, 38% new. There is a glorious sweet core of choc cherry fruit here plus exceptional balance and serious length. Blackberries, coffee beans, tobacco leaves and so much more. A wonderful wine with decades ahead of it, at least twenty years.
98 POINTS
Dave Brookes - Halliday Wine Companion
The Caley has quickly established itself as a benchmark for the classic cabernet/shiraz blend. In 2018, it's 80/20% Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon/ Barossa shiraz matured for 20 months in French barriques (38% new). The melding of both variety and region is compelling and captivating. Beautifully poised blackberry and blackcurrant lie sympatico with plum and dark cherry. Notes of cedar and tobacco with fine spices, gentle herbal tones, dried citrus blossom, pencil case and cinnamon. Picture-perfect fruit depth, powdery mineral framework and harmony in all aspects of its composition, leaving the impression of a wine at the top of its game and one destined for a long life in the cellar.
97 POINTS
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The fruit for the 2018 The Caley Cabernet & Shiraz comes from Coonawarra and Barossa. The Cabernet Sauvignon (80% of the blend) is sourced from four blocks within the same estate-owned Coonawarra vineyard, and within that are two clones. The Shiraz (20% of the blend) is a combination of Eden Valley (15%) and Barossa fruit (5%). All handpicked and destemmed, the fruit parcels are kept separate in the winery and fermented wild in a selection of fermenters. It spent 10 days on the skins, then was pressed off to Yalumba-coopered barrels (in the main) and matured in a total of 38% new oak. It offers dusted blood plums, dark raspberry, cocoa nibs and licorice on the nose. It is composed and restrained, with a hint of toasted oak shining through the abundant fruit. In the mouth, the fruit is abundant and purple, shaped by a casket of firm tannins that assist in the flow of wine over the tongue. It is cohesive, powerful and resplendent. This is a very smart wine, one with pleasure built into its core. This is drinking beautifully now; it has polish and gloss, but it is savory (peppered roast beef crust), which makes it a little chewy and balances the fruit. This is an exciting wine, one that speaks of the classic Australian blend of "Cab Shiraz" in a respectful way, but it cannot hide its polish and modernity. Long lived plus. 300 dozen made, 14% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax.
97 POINTS
Angus Hughson - Vinous
This 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz The Caley is a picture of purity and precision. There are layers of bright red and black currant fruits spliced with graphite, red cherry and the faintest dusting of spice and dried herbs - all beautifully settled with a strong but integrated background of coffee bean oak. A classic claret style follows: a tight fruit core wound up in dense but satiny textured tannins. The finish is killer - seamless, sleek and extremely long, showing a seductive mix of fruit and tannins with a peacock's tail to close. This is a classic in the making.
96 POINTS
Mike Bennie - The Wine Front
This is 80% Coonawarra cabernet, 15% Eden Valley shiraz, 5% Barossa Valley shiraz. A stellar year for the wine, says winemaker Kevin Glastonbury, all the elements falling into place, let’s say. “It promises power but gives you finesse”.
He’s not wrong. It has this elegance and poise, a relaxed nature but depth of flavour. Choc-cherry, salt bush, turned earth, iron filings and cassis to sniff on. The palate offers darker berry fruits, plum and choc-mint notes, leafy elements, white pepper and clove. It rolls around the palate gently, shows it’s multi-layered feel and extends impressively through the palate to a gentle residual stain of spice and sweet fruit,.
