Mid shaded ruby. Although this is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, it is no deeper in colour than the Euphonium 2016. That hint of of oyster shells I picked up on the Euphonium is really pronounced on this wine! Much tauter and more focused on the nose than most South Australian reds (north of Coonawarra). But the tannins are much softer than they would be in, say, a red bordeaux 2016. Tarry and lightly medicinal – in a positive way! Really quite smooth-textured for a Cabernet from a vintage which, I'm told, is more tannic than usual. Subtle, undeniably Cabernet, fruit but it should flower for many a year and ideally I'd keep it awhile. 2021 - 2035
The family's flagship Cabernet is the 2016 Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon. As usual, the oak regime incorporates a reasonable 20% new French hogsheads, lending a discreet edge of pencil shavings to the scents of pipe tobacco, menthol and cassis. It's medium to full-bodied but exquisitely balanced so as to appear nearly weightless on the palate, buoyed by ripe, plush tannins that turn softly dusty on the lingering finish. It's another excellent vintage for what is arguably Eden Valley's top Cabernet Sauvignon. 2021 - 2035
There is no doubt that the Eden Valley is home to truly great red wines and Cyril is my favourite Cabernet by a mile. Once again, in this vintage, the perfume is tremendous and intoxicating and it signals that a remarkable wine is to follow. With a slightly firmer feel than the Shirazes and a narrower set of hips, too, there is a faint leafy character here which adds drama to the blackcurrant core. The tannins are sooty and fine and, again, there is leafy freshness that signs its name and the end of the finish. While the mid-palate fruit is superb this is a youthful wine and it requires patience. Like Hill of Grace, Cyril was another wine that continued to evolve over the course of my repeated visits to the bottle and this is a stunning sign for the future.
Aromas of coal smoke, dried sage and thyme, as well as iodine, Indian ink, licorice and wet slate make for a very savory frame to the violets, blueberries and blackcurrants. The palate has a striking degree of power and purity with some quite ripe, concentrated dark-plum and mulberry flavors, stretched long on majestic cabernet tannins. The dark berries hold long and stay fresh to the very end. Some blueberries to close. This is an elegant, complex and powerful rendition of higher-altitude cabernet style. Great balance. 100% cabernet sauvignon. Try from 2025. Vinolok glass closure.
