Cabernet Sauvignon Cyril Henschke 2018

The 40th anniversary of the first vintage of this wine, named after Stephen Henschke's father, fourth-generation winemaker Cyril, who first planted this Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in 1969. And in warmer years, like 2018, the 'solar panel' slopes of this cooler site shows what fully ripened Eden Valley Cabernet can offer. Rich purple and inky blue fruits soar from the glass: cassis, mulberry, violets and an almost pine forest-like ozone freshness that brings lift and clarity to the sumptuous palate. Beautiful length, elegance and purity, with smooth graphite-like tannins and vibrant acidity. With no 2017 produced, this is worth the wait; a fitting toast to Cyril.

Beautiful, attractive cabernet characters with cigars, tobacco leaf, currants, savory tapenade and sweet roasted chili peppers. Cocoa powder and star anise, too. Intense, but remaining fluid with a bright, red-fruited center palate followed by a lengthy, layered finish, full of Spanish chocolate and cigar box characters. Lasting almost a minute. 2% merlot and 1% cabernet franc in the blend. 10% new French oak 300 liter barrels. Drink now or hold. Screw cap.

Striking violet character on the nose, along with concentrated dark berry, liquorice and slate punch that gives Cabernet signature combined with a deft, sculpted feel. There are tannins here, contributing weight through the mid palate, with a eucalyptus-mint two-step that keeps things mouthwatering. First produced in 1978, making 2018 its 40th vintage, this is named after winemaker Stephen Henschke's father Cyril, from Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the late 1960s from cuttings of Australia's oldest Cabernet, part of the Busby collection. Harvest April 11-12. Aging in 10% new French oak, large sized casks, organic and biodynamic farming. 470m altitude.

The 2018 vintage of the Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon marks the 38th release of this wine. The 3.2-hectare single vineyard from which the fruit hails is planted on a combination of sandy loam and clay, over a bedrock of mica schist. The 2018 Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, matured in a combination of new (10%) and seasoned (the balance) French oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling. On the nose, tobacco leaf, blackberry, resin/tar, salted licorice and vanilla pod rise to the fore. In the mouth, the wine is fluid, pretty and composed, with a restrained outlay of flavors across the long finish. I had thought initially that the wine displayed aromatically as quite green; a glance at the numbers told me this might be unlikely (14.5% alcohol, pH 3.56, total acidity 6.5 gram per liter); however, there are certainly inflections in the mouth that support this notion. This is very elegant. The cassis is revealed as the wine opens. Give it time.