Ben says
★★ Great Wine “This mature Cab is ruby-rimmed and still bright with flecks of bronzing. It has aromas of prune-like dried fruit, cassis and peppery olive oil. It’s long and layered in the mouth with grippy black tea tannins, dark chocolate, light licks of vanilla and silky, toasty finish. It is nearing the end of its prime but is nonetheless fantastic to drink if you can get your hands on it.“
KEY POINTS
Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon with 13.7% abv. Hand-harvested from the north-facing winery block on grey alluvial soils at 120m above sea level. The vines were planted in 1996. It was matured in French oak for 15 months. (Note vintage in photo is 2021, but we tasted the 2014 at the cellar door. I have not tried the 2021)
Grown in: Yarra Valley, Victoria, South AUSTRALIA.
Food Pairing
I like to drink Cabernet Sauvignon with lamb or fattier meats but when it has more maturity like this one, I actually lean more towards blue cheese. The idea of this bottle with a portobello mushroom stuffed with blue cheese and baked sounds perfect to me.
Disclosure & Price
Tasted during a paid for cellar door wine tasting flight at the vineyard. Not available in the market but you can taste it at the cellar door.
Reviewed and tasted: 27/03/2024
About the Producer
Oakridge Wines started in the Yarra Valley’s expansion in the 1970s with Horst “Jim” Zitzlaff planting vines on a four hectare cherry orchard in Wandin East, which later became the Five Oaks Vineyard block.
Oakridge made its name for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines, and moved its production to the Coldstream in 1998. The Zitlaffs sold to Evans & Tate, who employed winemaker David Bicknell in 2002, who continues to run the operation today. Bicknell has continued to work at Oakridge under the D’Aloisio and Atlas families between 2007 and 2021 and since 2021 under Paragon Wine Estates. The vineyard is managed by chief viticulturist Steve Faulkner. Today Oakridge produces a wide range of wines, including its top label 864 Block, which has been lauded by critics like Halliday.
