Craiglee Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

About the Wine
"It’s telling that Craiglee Cabernet Sauvignon has never been reviewed on WineFront before. Vigneron Pat Carmody is one of a kind, a bloody legend in the greatest Australian sense, and, of course he says as a dyed in wool shiraz man… “I overlook cabernet as well. Shiraz is my priority. About a hectare of cabernet exists at Craiglee. It’s the last variety pruned each year and my wife says every year, ‘what are we doing here, cut it out and we will finish earlier’. After all the years I don’t really understand it but hope to get fruit flavour and savoury characters. I taste shiraz at any time on the vine and can say what it will do at any point in the growing season and know what it will do as a finished wine, but with cabernet  nah, I have no idea. More the point, I sort of don’t really care to”. There is only one Pat Carmody.

About the Winery

One of Australia's most constantly and criminally under-rated wineries. Doesn't help that Craiglee is located in the 'never-on-trend' region that is Sunbury but don't this distract - Pat Carmody produces cool climate classics of the highest order. The vineyard was originally established in the 1860s and Pat replanted back in 1976. The Shiraz is, I think, Australia's best 'pepper and spice' example of this cool climate style, whilst the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are proven long-lived styles albeit in a refined and elegant mold.