d'Arenberg The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Notes - The grapes for this wine come largely from a near extinct clone of Cabernet Sauvignon. This unnamed clone yields no more than one tonne per acre because of its very poor setting ability and the tiny size of its berries. However, the quality of the grapes is far superior, with wonderful violet and blackcurrant aromas, great acidity and long, intense fine grain tannins.This wine has a deep dark vibrant colour. The nose shows intense blackcurrant and cranberry fruits, subtle cedary cinnamon spice, barrel-ferment and controlled oak derived aromas with violet and mint scents, as well as liquorice and chocolate smells. Intertwined is this wonderful green edge that lifts the wine into a cool climate spectrum which typifies the cool year. These aromas combine with some cassis, blueberry and cranberry with lingering mocha and plumy fruit are just showing through amongst a long, intense, vibrant, gritty fruit tannin finish. As a young wine the wine could be summarised as being more continuous than harmonious due to the extended length and intensity of the palate. The Cellaring Potential - with bottle age, the wine will become more harmonious and gain more complex characters of chocolate, truffle, cigar box and earth. Varietal eucalyptus and bell pepper which are indicative of McLaren Vale hints may also come to the fore but are well-integrated with the other developing characters, maintaining an even palate weight with a seamless and persistently rolling length. "The spicy 2003 Coppermine Road Cabernet (aged in equal parts new French and new American oak) reveals copious qualities of blackcurrants, cedar, vanilla, and white chocolate aromas, followed by spicy, tannic, full-bodied, powerful, dense, well-structured flavours. It should drink well for 10-15+ years." 94 points, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, October 2005.
 
     

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