2012 The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz
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Tasting Notes
Exquisitely composed, perfectly poised and impeccably structured, this is an exceptional wine that wine lovers of Yalumba have been waiting for 168 years. The compelling bouquet shows dark fruit, cocoa, clove, bay leaf, almond and violet aromas with nuances of black olive and truffle. The oak infusion is discreet and seamless. It is concentrated and beautifully weighted on the palate, and exhibits silky texture, fleshy mouthfeel and loads of fine, polished tannins. The wine is pristine, yet spectacularly complex, and flows effortlessly through the palate, gradually expanding to a gloriously long, engaging finish. 2012 The Caley is a blend of Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon and Barossa shiraz, matured in new and seasoned French oak barrels for 22 months.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
This is the first vintage of Yalumba’s new Cabernet/Shiraz-based flagship wine. Deep garnet in color, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz The Caley offers expressive baked blackberries, cherry cordial and blackcurrant jelly notes with suggestions of Chinese five spice, cedar and anise. The palate is built like a brick house, delivering a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness to support and complement the voluptuous, full-bodied flesh. It offers a very long, layered finish with lingering exotic spice and black berry preserves notes. Give it 3-5 more years in bottle and drink it over the next twenty-five.
52% Coonawarra Cabernet, 27% Barossa Cabernet and 21% Barossa Shiraz, open-fermented with wild yeast (three days) then cultured yeast. Bright, deep crimson-purple; the bouquet instantly semaphores a glorious profusion of cassis, blackberry and black cherry fruits, flavours which are precisely mirrored by the palate. But it’s the way this beautiful wine caresses the mouth that is so special, the tannins polished, the oak judged to perfection.
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About the producer
Based in the tiny village of Angaston in the Barossa, South Australia, Yalumba is the country's oldest family-owned winery. The estate produces a broad range of wines from entry-level to ultra-premium, such as The Caley.