Xanadu Reserve cabernet sauvignon 2023

This is another of the wines I awaited with some degree of expectation, and like pretty much every cabernet out of twenty-three, it has not failed to deliver. It has exceeded my expectations. It's a blend of 92% cabernet, with equal proportions of malbec and petit verdot, and comes from a number of different vineyard areas, including Wilyabrup, Wallcliffe, and Treeton. It's immensely bright and vibrant, with tremendous and sustained power coursing through. But like all of these wines, it's in the medium-bodied zone with a high degree of elegance and poise. Lots of black fruits on the nose, but then there's a little blue fruit influence and a touch of rich plumminess. It's had about fourteen months in oak, of which about 40% was new, and yet the oak is never obvious and sits seamlessly within a harmoniously balanced palate. Tannins are super fine and help the wine retain its incredible palate persistence. A really first-rate example of cabernet from this season.