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2005 Petaluma Coonawarra is comprised of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec. Aged in new Alliers and Nevers oak barriques for 22 months and was bottled without filtration. For the first time Petit Verdot from the Evans Vineyard and Malbec from the Sharefarmers Vineyard have been included to complement the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that have comprised the Petaluma Coonawarra blend for more than 20 years. It would be totally clichéd and for me to proclaim the Petaluma Coonawarra 2005 a better wine than the Petaluma Coonawarra 2004 (97/100 Jeremy Oliver, 96/100 Campbell Mattinson, WineStar Wine of the Year 2007) but those comparisons are inevitable following my second tasting of the 2005 during the week. It is unsurprisingly our third nomination (behind Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz 2005 and Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 2004) for this years' WineStar Wine of the Year Ironically or perhaps eerily, my comments of the 2004 ring true of the 2005, particularly the 'two wines in one' analogy: This is almost two wines in one, a notion I have had when I tried a number of other Cabernets from 2004 Coonawarra. It is remarkably approachable and the only saving grace is the knowledge that with some patience, we are actually looking at one of the finest Coonawarra Cabernets ever made, a wine that in 12 or so years – and I am not one for long drinking windows – will be remembered not only as an Australian classic, icon, legend – call it what you want but also prove to be one of the great bargains due to the fact that at $45 it is still less than half the retail price of the other Australian icon Cabs. I’d love to match this up with Bordeaux in a decade, safe in the knowledge that you couldn’t buy a cork and capsule of decent Bordeaux for this money. Indeed the 2005 has the generous, juicy fruit characters reminiscent of a warmer, riper year yet on the other hand retains the acid structure that Coonawarra is perhaps more renowned for. Two wines in one brilliantly put together. Those juicy fruit aromas include choc mint, florals, cassis and a serve of oak lead into a palate which offers lashings of the same characters on a never ending finish. It's clean and classy. It's young with a long life ahead yet ridiculously drinkable now. It is back to back 'Exceptional' wines for this label and perhaps the best news of all - it is under screwcap! As pre-empted, it could also be the best wine released this year. Drink: 2010-2020+; Quality: Exceptional; BW; WineStar© April 2008 This year sees a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the introduction of two brand new grapey chums - 5% Petit Verdot (Evans Vineyard) and 5% Malbec (Sharefarmers Vineyard). It’s fragrant, violetty and perfumed with aniseed and spice over blackberry, blackcurrant, cedar oak and mineral. Cool, calm and collected. On the palate medium bodied and fine - a wine of effortless sophistication that combines perfectly ripe fruit without excess sweetness or alcohol warmth, a flourish of savoury black olive and graphite with polished cedary French oak in support. It has fine smooth tannins, clean fresh acidity and feels fluid and calm throughout, finishing long and dry. Benchmark Coonawarra. Rated : 96 Points; Alcohol : 14%; Price : $65; Drink : 2015 - 2025+; Gary Walsh; Winorama Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot 2005 ($65): I was a great fan of the 2004 and this 2005 is equally as good. It's a great combination of elegance and power. It tastes dark and olive-like, its blackcurrant-y heart peppered with spicy, smoky oak. All that said, this wine is more about structure and texture than flavour: it flows beautifully through the mouth before straightening up and reaching out through the finish. It's a cracker. Drink: 2013-2023. 96 points. Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front
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