Robert Oatley Cabernet Merlot 2007. Class 21, 18.5, Gold.

This radical blend of grapes from opposite sides of the country actually makes quite a lot of sense. Mudgee has a long history of making richly flavoured, age-worthy cabernets that if anything can be a little too earthy, so the winemaker went to Margaret River, a region producing some of the country’s finest cabernets, selected a parcel of cabernet and blended it with merlot grapes from Mudgee to make this fascinating dual region wine. The cabernet component was picked at optimum ripeness and hand sorted to remove any lesser berries. Robert Oatley Cabernet Merlot 2007 The merlot was from a single vineyard harvested at its peak. The wines were fermented in small tanks, with 10-12 days maceration, and then pressed off skins into French oak where they underwent the secondary malolactic fermentation followed by maturation for 16 months in a combination of new and up to four year old barrels. Robert Oatley Cabernet Merlot 2007 The typical minty green cabernet characters are softened and enhanced by the rich tobacco leaf character of the merlot, presenting an outstanding wine which will impress. This wine will continue to develop for at least ten years. If you want to drink it now, slosh it into a decanter and give it some aeration. It will be better for it.