Xanadu Margaret River Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Here we have the very best Cabernet Xanadu can produce in a given year. The fruit was mostly sourced from two mature, dry grown vineyards; Timber Creek, in the Wilyabrup subregion; and Victory Point in the Treeton subregion of Margaret River and was supplemented with a small amount of Malbec from their Stevens Road vineyard in Wallcliffe. It’s quite elegant aromatically, with delicate notes of plum, blackcurrant, blackberry, paprika and paperbark to start. A good swirl of the glass unlocks tilled earth, dark chocolate, cacao powder and a gentle graphite edge beneath. Lovely aromatics, though in need of air to really show. There’s elegance, lift and restraint to the palate, with blackcurrant pastilles, blackberry, mint, hints of graphite and a glimmer of dark chocolate before ripples of grainy tannins frame it all up to an elegant finish. Elegance is the word, though I do feel a touch more concentration would elevate this.