2018 Nicks Secret Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

From a legend of the Yarra Valley who has been making wines for over 30 years this secret Cabernet Sauvignon offers wonderful current drinking at less than half its normal price. From the winemaker… “2018 turned out to be a true benchmark vintage in the Yarra Valley…. the Cabernet Sauvignon knocking our socks off.”
Matured in a combination of new (30%) and seasoned French oak hogsheads for a period of 14 months. Totally opaque black dark red colour with a dark red hue. Elevated ripe blackcurrant and mulberry aromas are complimented by cigar box, black olive and spice notes. Medium bodied the palate is nicely fleshed with rich red to black currant and mulberry fruits overlaying a dusty vanillin cedar, tobacco and spicy black olive back drop. Fine grained tannin structure with a touch of bay leaf coming through on the long, elegant finish.
Drink over the next 2-3 years.
Alc. 13.5%

Other Reviews…..
Destemmed, whole berry ferment in open fermenters, mix of wild and cultured yeasts, pressed to oak barrels, maturation in French oak (35% new) for 16 months. A delicious taste of fruit and nothing but the fruit with a young cabernet that lifts and sings and excites. This is what we love to see in Yarra Valley cabernet, an elegance of line, of sweet cassis aromas and varietal intensity, of smart, modest tannins that go about their job with purpose in the background. And then, just a touch of oak - but only a touch. Drink by 2032.
95 points
Jeni Port – James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion

Gorgeously complex and enticing, the bouquet shows dark fruit richness, subtle tobacco, clove and cedar characters, leading to a concentrated palate displaying refined texture and chalky tannins. Robust and structured with refinement, finishing persistent and captivating. At its best: now to 2032.
95 points
Sam Kim - WineOrbit