The 2018 vintage of the Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon marks the 38th release of this wine. The 3.2-hectare single vineyard from which the fruit hails is planted on a combination of sandy loam and clay, over a bedrock of mica schist. The 2018 Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, matured in a combination of new (10%) and seasoned (the balance) French oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling. On the nose, tobacco leaf, blackberry, resin/tar, salted licorice and vanilla pod rise to the fore. In the mouth, the wine is fluid, pretty and composed, with a restrained outlay of flavors across the long finish. I had thought initially that the wine displayed aromatically as quite green; a glance at the numbers told me this might be unlikely (14.5% alcohol, pH 3.56, total acidity 6.5 gram per liter); however, there are certainly inflections in the mouth that support this notion. This is very elegant. The cassis is revealed as the wine opens. Give it time.
As an avid proponent of the screw-cap closure, it is important to note that, upon opening, all wines in this release looked cramped and closed. With time in the glass (and no small amount of vigorous swirling), the wines opened up beautifully. A decant prior to drinking is highly recommended, especially if you are going to be drinking them early (i.e., anytime from 2023 - 2033).
Some of the vines for this wine were planted by Cyril Henschke back in the 1960s. Matured in French oak (10% new) for 18 months. Bright blackberry and blackcurrant fruits with top notes of redcurrant and red cherry. Olive tapenade, cedar, light briar notes and mountain herbs. Fine lacy acidity and tight, powdery tannin provide the frame, and there is no doubt that this release will age magnificently.
There was no 2017 made, so we jump from the gorgeous 2016 vintage to this no-nonsense 2018 vintage. Commanding, sharply tannic and somewhat square on the palate, this is a mere pup, and it seemed rather put out that we woke it from its slumber in order to interrogate it and swirl it around in a glass. Firm, with crisp tannins and upright fruit, this has yet to mellow and turn the corner, but it will flesh out given age and become a more luxurious wine than is apparent right now. But do not expect this wine to ever offer overt fruit-sweetness and opulence. This is a dense fellow favouring muscle over finesse, and it leads me to believe that 2018 was more suited to Shiraz than Cabernet, and Cyril reluctantly appears to agree.
