Cabernet Sauvignon’s origins can be traced back to France’s Bordeaux region but here in Australia its ideally suited to all Australian conditions. From the cool climate of the Yarra Valley in Victoria to the vast reaches of Western Australia, producing a wide range of styles and regional characters, from elegant, medium-bodied examples through to full-bodied reds full of intense black fruit flavours, with oak to match and firm tannins. What we have here is the StarDozen: Premium Cabernet Collection featuring 3 bottles each from 4 different regions of Australia which not only scored 94 Points or better from Australia's leading Wine Critics but also shows the diversity of this variety with an example from the Barossa Valley, Margaret River, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra. 

The StarDozen consists of the following:

3 bottles       Schoolhouse Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
3 bottles       Thompson Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
3 bottles       Reynella Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
3 bottles       Grant Burge Shadrach Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Schoolhouse Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
A classy young thing with aromas reminiscent of blackcurrants, tomato leaves and tobacco. The palate has a solid structure with great varietal fruit and masses of oak. Drink: 5 Years+; September October 2022; (Eligible for Wine of the Year) Rating: 96 Points; Winestate Magazine

Thompson Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Medium purple colour with bright red edges. Fine, aristocratic aromas of cassis and cedar - quality oak. A lovely burst of sweetness greets the palate adding softness and charm to an otherwise tight and finely-tannined palate. It's strength is its subtlety. A delicious, classic cabernet. Drink: 2019 to 2031; Price: $50.00; Alcohol: 14.2%; Rating: 94 Points; Nick Butler; The Real Review

Reynella Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Small parcels were basket-pressed from one vineyard to provide 95% of the wine, the remainder open-fermented, all basket-pressed into French barriques for 14 months maturation. The wine is a richly textured and structured carpet of blackcurrant fruit, cabernet tannins dancing a jig at every point along the way to the finish. Oak makes a contribution, but it is the least of the three pillars. Drink to: 2041; Alcohol: 14%; Rating: 95 Points; James Halliday Wine Companion

Grant Burge Shadrach Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
The Eden Valley contributed 54%, the Barossa Valley 46%; cabernet sauvignon 93%, petit verdot 7%. Matured for 18 months in French oak (60% new). The colour is still deep and powerful, and the wine is likewise. It may be called a baroque style, and indeed it is, but you have to respect it – even enjoy it. Drink to: 2043; Date Tasted: Feb 2019; Alcohol: 14%; Rating: 97 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday; Wine Companion