Aly Forsyth here!! Many of you know me under one of two hats...the managing partner at our Como store, or the previous wine nerd at the North Fremantle store. Either way, I've been the resident 'Nerd de Vin' at Old Bridge Cellars for almost 7 years now.
I wanted to share our latest "Thank Me Later" wine with you all. If you haven't come across an Old Bridge Cellars "Thank Me Later" before, here's a quick rundown. Every now and then we are presented with an opportunity to buy-up big on some wines that deserve a larger audience. These wines are ALWAYS quality controlled (this time around, by yours truly) and only some make the cut. We ask you, our loyal customers, to put your trust in us and we're very confident you'll be 'thanking us later'.
But we don't expect you to dive in completely blind, so here's a little rundown on the wine....
Recently a wine came across our desk from Margaret River that we haven’t looked at in earnest for a good few vintages. In years gone by it was a solid yardstick in many a wine collectors eye and talked about as an insane bargain to fill up the cellar. The range has changed somewhat and this wine has been elevated in the hierarchy with a price more appropriate to the quality of the wine. Whenever this happens there tends to be a shift away for a time until we all catch on that in the context of world wine, this Bordeaux blend still has insane value. I had thought about revealing the identity of this one but where’s the fun in that?
Here's a few more hints...this wine is from the lauded 2018 vintage. For those of us that keep track of vintages, 2018 in Margs is often referred to as the Goldilocks year. Everything was perfect. A lot of the premium cuvees are released around the 4 year mark (Tom Cullity, Moss Wood, Leeuwin Art Series), however this one has been waiting patiently in the wings.
Hailing from one of the oldest wineries in Margaret River, this producer is one of my absolute favourites when it comes to Bordelaise varieties. Amongst my wine peers, a lot of people consistently say this winery is in their top 2 for Cabernet. This has more than a majority share of Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend, along with Merlot and a lick of Malbec to round it out. So, what about when I sat down with the wine….?
In true nerd fashion, I poured three glasses; one straight from the bottle, one once aerated and the third was aerated twice. I wanted to see if oxygenation affected the wine, without having to wait an hour or so in the decanter. The differences were stark.
A bottle of this quality deserves to be decanted and enjoyed over a sitting. Straight from the bottle it was still very good. Lifted typical Cabernet menthol, minty characters leap from the glass. Mulberries and red berries dominate the fruit aromas. On the palate there is some tension; it is tart and lively. It needs some air and should be decanted.
The first aerated sample is savoury on the nose, dark and brooding with hints olive tapenade. It is less minty on the nose although still there. The palate is much softer and fuller in the mouth with flavour everywhere. The disparity between glass one and two is stark. The tannins can now grip the jaw line and the lasting flavours stay around for some time. It reeks of Bordeaux. If someone poured this to me blind, it could be Left Bank Bordeaux and easily $100+, more likely closer to $150 per bottle.
The difference between the second and third glasses was not as distinct, yet I preferred the last glass the most. The softness of the dusty tannins, the power of fruit flavour, just a hint of development but still super fresh for a 6 year old wine. This has real cellaring potential too. My rule of thumb of ‘10 years is a good time to drink it’ would apply really well in this case. Is it ready to go now? Yes! This is a very good wine and easily half the price of a French equivalent.
So now the pricing. This offer is a one time only online deal. Trust me!
RRP $75
3 for $180 (save $45)
6 for $340 (save $110)
12 for $600 (save $300)
SHOP "THANK ME LATER" - https://www.oldbridge.com.au/products/thank-me-later
Hope you enjoyed my musings!
Cheers,
Aly and the Old Bridge Cellars team
