Huntington Estate 2011 Block 3 Cabernet Sauvignon, $65
I first met Tim Stevens nearly two decades ago, not long after he had purchased the Abercorn Vineyard in Mudgee. I was impressed then, and still am, with his commitment to producing the very best wine possible. He readily acknowledges that he is happy to leave the fancy packaging and clever marketing to others, focusing very much on substance over style. The evidence of that is in this big, beautiful Cabernet, a variety that the Mudgee region does particularly well. It comes from 45-year-old vines on Huntington Estate, which Stevens bought in 2005. Aged for 2 years in barrel and 2 years in bottle, it has vibrant red and black fruit flavours and is quite herbaceous and earthy with a hint of chocolate and a long finish. It’d probably keep for another 20 years in the cellar, if you could resist it for so long.
