2020 Mount Mary, Quintet

"Årets vin" hos James Halliday! Mount Mary kunne have solgt produktionen mange gange i Australien med den ros, men insisterede heldigvis på, at vinen også skulle tilbydes i resten af verden. I denne kølige årgang er Quintet sammensat af 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec og 4% Petit Verdot. Sam Middleton høster hver druesort og parcel separat og vinificerer igennem i 22 måneder på fade af forskellig størrelse - først i foudre og herefter i franske barrique inden tapningen. Quintet 2020 er sammensat som en Pinot Noir med uimodståelig frugtighed over vidunderlig levende syrerygrad. Tanninen er mindre markant i denne rørende, rene årgang, som lægger ud med ribs, solbær, urter, blomster og orientalske krydderier i et blændende aromabillede. Den dybe, silkepolerede frugt omfavner og kærtegner tungen støttet af superb moden syre, og tanninen er blid og løfter kun vinens energi. Denne 2020 Quintet er uimodståelig harmonisk fra starten, men glem ikke at Quintet kan lagre i årtier og kommer til at udvikle magisk kompleksitet! (-2045+) *****

98 points og "Wine of the Year" James Halliday: ”A blend of 44/30/18/4/4% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc/malbec/petit verdot. From a cool year, with the poor flowering reducing the crop of the Quintet varieties by around 50%, this is an essay in elegance and understatement. A medium, bright and translucent ruby red, this is beautifully perfumed with aromas of just-ripened blackcurrants, red cherries, rose petals and gentle cedar notes from the oak. The palate is exceptionally pure fruited and gently textured. The wine finishes with these incredibly silky, long tannins that are in perfect harmony with the fruit and acid. This majestic wine is gorgeous to drink even now but those that still have some in their cellar in 10–15 years (if not longer) will be grateful..”

98 points Robert Parker Wine Advocate: ”The Mount Mary Quintet is highly prized in Australia for its capacity for graceful aging in the cellar. On release, the 2020 Quintet exhibits a precise tannic structure, so specific to this estate in Yarra Valley. The fruit bursts forth in a measured flow of red berries, exotic spice and classic Yarra florals. It's a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (44%), Merlot (30%), Cabernet Franc (18%), Malbec (4%) and Petit Verdot (4%), and harmony, balance and finesse are its calling cards. This is one of the very best Cabernets in Australia in any given year, yet the cool, low-yielding 2020 season has birthed a wine of unparalleled pleasure and place. It's a superstar of the highest order, and if you don't believe me, track down one that's five years old, 10, 15, 20, more. They remain fresh, elegant, balanced, poised, exciting wines through the years. Heck, I might do a vertical to prove the point. Sensational."