Jim Barry St Clare Dry Red Cabernet Malbec 2018, Clare Valley

Jim Barry St Clare Dry Red Cabernet Malbec 2018, Clare Valley

These wines are amazing. Eight years on and the colour still has youthful vibrancy. The aroma is complex and lifted. The palate is balanced, fruitful and generous.

Deep crimson with a dense purple core. Blackcurrant, dark plum and black cherry, then pencil shavings, dried rose, mint, coffee and black olive. A little cedar and earth sit underneath.

Full-bodied and intensely savoury. Rich dark fruit, powerful yet finely textured tannin, fresh acid. Cabernet for the frame, Malbec for plushness through the middle. Oak and savoury characters add depth without smothering the fruit. The finish is long, firm and persistent: cassis, olive, coffee and mint hanging on. Still tight enough to cellar, already generous enough to drink.

Vino Masters Score: 96/100 ★★★★★ An eight-year-old Clare Cabernet Malbec with pencil, mint, black olive and a long firm finish.