To see a live tasting and review of this wine, check out: youtube.com/watch?v=QNAoIg_ELTc&t=9s
IMPORTANT COVID UPDATE: At Wine Hunters, our passion has always been about “boots on the ground” wine hunting – finding the treasures in the nooks and crannies. Locked down in Melbourne, this has been impossible since April. So please bear with us as we do what we can until Melbournians are allowed to move and wineries allowed to host again.
Balgownie Estate is the godfather of the Bendigo wine region. It is the first modern winery in Bendigo, and today it remains the region’s biggest and arguably its best. Bendigo is a severely underappreciated wine region. A sister region to Heathcote, Bendigo can produce some of Australia’s best Shiraz, and in the right vintages, it kicks major goals with Cab Sav as well.
Balgownie’s 2015 Cab Sav is a seriously beautiful wine. Wine people sometimes use the phrase “fruit clarity” and that is the defining characteristic of this wine. It is very precise. The blue fruit character of this wine pushes straight though. It is clean and it is polished – no overly distracting tannins and none of that green herbaciousness that can so often mar Aussie Cab Sav. This one is more like a waking dream of Cab Sav, with primary blueberry notes and just a little blackberry cobbler at the bottom of the glass, perfectly supported by the wine’s supple and smooth texture. If you are not sure what Cabernet Sauvignon is supposed to taste like, you answer is right here. This is as good as anything you are going to find in Coonawarra or Margaret River. Honestly, if I had tasted this blind, I might have guessed I was drinking a Bordeaux.
What food do you have this with? A wine this clean and singular demands filet mignon I think. What friend do you have this with? Something about this wine has me wishing I were sitting across from my brother and sharing the experience.
As for Bendigo, there are a couple other wineries you need to check out there. 1) Sandhurst Ridge is a super cool winery with a wide range of aged wines and cool blends, like an extraordinary Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Cab Sav blend. Such a cool place. 2) Black Jack Wines only focuses on red wines, and when it comes to winemaking, focus always pays. If you want to know what Bendigo Shiraz is all about, Black Jack can answer your question. 3) Killiecrankie is one of the hippest wineries in the region, but don’t let its coolness throw you off. The place produces serious wines. John who runs the place is such a fun dude. Tell him we said hello.
Dreams of wine like Balgownie’s Cab Sav are #WhyWeLoveWIne
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