Balnaves 'The Blend' Cabernet Merlot' 2022

There's a fair argument to position this wine as the leading traditional-styled Australian Cabernet at or around $20. Dry, sinewy, serious. Some spicy wood and long smooth tannin. Surprisingly old-fashioned in build. I'd expect this to go close to 10yrs.

"93 Points. A blend of 67/26/4/3% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/petit verdot/cabernet franc; matured in 18% new French oak for 12 months. This offers a medium-weight serve of black- and red-berried fruit flavour, though there are also plenty of leafier, more savoury aspects around the edges along with eucalypt and smoky oak notes. It's drinking well young, but it has all the sturdiness required to last well into the future. Balnaves always seems to over deliver on quality, and this is another example."- Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion.