FRASER GALLOP | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2018
cabernet sauvignon | petit verdot

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Established in 1999, Fraser Gallop Estate is at the heart of Margaret River’s Wilyabrup valley (the coastal, mid northern part of Margaret River), six kilometers from the South West Coast of Western Australia. The estate’s vineyards enjoys splendid isolation and a moderate maritime climate, influenced by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, with vines planted on north-facing slopes on gravel subsoil, that ensures good drainage, while the high clay content enables good water retention throughout summer, thus providing ideal conditions in which to grow Bordeaux grape varieties.

The wine that we are going to review today hardly requires any introduction, as this is one of the most famous wine labels from the lands of Down Under – Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 by Fraser Gallop Estate. Cabernet Sauvignon is grown all over the world in a wide range of climates and regions and it can produce wines that are very high in tannins and acidity, that can mature and develop for many years in the bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon is also a late ripening grape variety, which means that it is best suited for warm climates, where it is capable to produce wines that can reach into realms of perfection, where they are rarely followed. Although technically it is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (95%) and petit verdot (5%) grape varieties, this wine represents the textbook Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 15 months in used french oak barrels. That said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium-deep ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: pronounced & expressive
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black cherry | blackcurrant | black plum | blackberry | aronia berry
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbs | spice | oak | sweet | earth
__herbs: dried herbs | bay leaf | eucalyptus | mint
__spice: cloves | nutmeg | peppercorn | tonka seeds
__oak: roasted oakwood | tobacco | vanilla | subtle hints of charred oakwood
__sweet: black cherry jam | blackberry jam
__earth: graphite | granite | slate | gravel | soil dust
primary layer: fruit & oak

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: none
body: firm | full body

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium
aftertaste: ripe & seedy

//Scoring
FRASER GALLOP | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2018
variety: cabernet sauvignon | petit verdot
country: Australia | Western Australia
region: Margaret River | Wilyabrup
rating: 93.8

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | drink now or age for 3 to 5 years
verdict: great | a legendary wine

//Prediction
predicted RP rating: 90+

//RP Rating
actual RP rating: ?

//All Ratings
The critics’ rating distribution: 93

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This is definitely a great wine of Australia and, with a total of 93.8 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a textbook cabernet sauvignon wine and definitely one of the best we have tasted so far: ample, rich and nuanced, with an expressive nose and a voluptuous palate. The wine is still in its development phase, therefore we would recommend to give it at least 2 more years of bottle ageing, as the potential is clearly there, but make sure to not overdo it, as it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. On the nose the wine displays ripe black fruits and a nuanced oaky touch in the foreground, supported by a mesmerizing notes of spice and dried herbs in the background and a subtle, earthy layer in between the two. On the palate the wine delivers vibrant acidity, ripe and grippy tannins and a well integrated alcoholic touch on the mouthfeel, which leads to a pleasantly seedy and ripe aftertaste. All in all, this is a real crowd-pleaser of a cabernet sauvignon wine, that is mixing power with finesse – a wine with amazing varietal typicity of the cabernet sauvignon grapes. We believe it will pair lovely with dishes that are rich in natural flavour, like for example a black angus filet mignon or an old-fashioned tomahawk steak. Enjoy!

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.