2015 Brand's Laira Blockers Cabernet Sauvignon

Established by Captain Stentiford in 1893 the Laira Vineyards was purchased by Eric Brand and his wife Nancy in 1950. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s they sold their fruit to larger wineries before releasing the first Brand's Laira wine in 1966. Eric and his sons continued to produce wine at Brand’s Laira until 1994 when the McWilliam’s family purchased the property. Casella wines now own the vineyard.

Aged in new and old French and American oak barrels for 18 months. Midnight black colour with a deep dark red black tinged hue. Elevated blackcurrant and liquorice aromas subtlety laced with mint evolve from the glass followed by dusty cigar box and spice notes. Rich ripe blackcurrant and liquorice flavours have good volume in the mouth yet still retain a sense of elegance. Lightly toasted vanillin cedar, subtle earthy tobacco characters and spicy mint ensue. Sturdy yet fine grained tannins provide ample structure for the fruit to work around. Excellent length, concentration and power with a long spicy blackcurrant, liquorice, subtlety toasted vanillin cedar and light mint aftertaste.
Cellar 5-6 years.
Alc. 14.5%

Other Reviews…
90/8/2% blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot. Archetypal cassis, mint and tobacco flavours flow in tandem with a stream of creamy vanillin oak. Volume, power, mouthfeel and length are all in a good place. The price suggests that this is a drink-early proposition but this will perform well over at least the medium term, if not (a lot) longer. Came back and retasted this a day later and it was still strutting its stuff. Bargain alert. Drink by 2035.
94 points
Campbell Mattinson – James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion