10 Cabs To Catch

97 Penfolds Bin 60A 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Shiraz
South Australia, Australia
AB $330.00 estimated retail; BC $330.00 estimated B.C. retail; ON $330.00 En primeur
The latest reincarnation of Bin60A began with select parcels of Coonawarra cabernet mixed with Koonunga Hill and Magill shiraz. The finished wine holds 56 per cent Block 20 Coonawarra cabernet and 44 per cent shiraz from Kalimna Blocks 4 and 14 and 44 and Koonunga Hill Block 53G all hand-picked and fermented in stainless steel and open top vessels before finishing the process in 300 litre new French oak barriques for 15 months. The nose is young and powerful showing predominately dark fruit (plums) and raisins with black pepper, macchiato and nutty leather nuances. Fabulous structure and weight and no doubt destined for greatness. Winemaker Peter Gago and his team are counting on the longer hang tine and flavours to place the classic Bin 60A label back onto the tasting circuit for decades to come. One to watch. Both the 2004 Bin 60A and Block 42 will be priced just above Grange. In Ontario, the pre-release price was $330. In fact, it was a steal when compared to the recent Christie's auction price in New York City where a six-pack of 2004 Bin 60A sold for US $4935.00, or US $822 per bottle. That converts to AUS $1084.54 per bottle that according to Langton's auction house in Australia, set a new record for highest ever price for a new release 750ml bottle of Australian wine.

95 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve 2001
Napa Valley, California, United States
BC $159.95; US $112.00 retail
Ed Sbragia's 'reserve cab' is always a blend of sources and in '01, nearly half of the fruit came from vineyard manager Bob Steinhauer's Steinhauer Vineyard. This is a big wine but with elegance. On the palate, it has spicy, peppery, blackberry jam flavours flecked with chocolate and vanilla flavours. The textures are supple and the length is substantial. A great bottle of Napa cabernet in a vintage that has turned out to be a little less great than many had hoped. Drink now or hold a decade for further improvement.

95 Signorello Il Padrone 2001
Napa Valley, California, United States
BC $150.00 Specialty
Big open blackberry jam nose laced with licorice, dark chocolate, cigar, black olive, orange rind, pudding aromas with just a hint of mineral, violet and cassis underneath. Quite rich and concentrated with intense, fat, ripe tannins and more cassis jam, blackberry, chocolate, cigar and spicy orange peel flavours. The finish is a mix of creamy vanilla, toasted licorice with some dusty earth aspects. Ripe, long, warm but balanced with great acidity and length. Primo stuff and relatively good value. The '01 Padrone is a 77/13/10 blend of cabernet sauvignon merlot and cabernet franc.

94 Darius II Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Napa Valley, California, United States
BC $179.95 Speculative Listing - New World Wines Inc.
"Darius II" is the pinnacle of wine making at Darioush. The all Mt Veeder Estate vineyard label is a 75/22/1.5/1.5/ mix of cabernet sauvignon / merlot/ petit verdot and cabernet franc. It is all small lots and it's only made in superior years. In 2001, it represents a mere 1 per cent of the Darioush Estate lots. The fruit is super suave with heaps of black plum spice and blackberry flavours. It the supple slippery tannins that make this such a treat to sip and while it appears ready to drink, it should hold effortlessly through 2010 and beyond. Refined elegant styling within wonderful Napa weight.

94 Highland Estate Trace Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States
BC $0.00 Speculative Listing Summit Fine Wine
Peppery, earthy, saddle leather nose with cardamom, blackberry and cassis with smoky, coffee, vanilla streaks. Rich, supple and concentrated palate with spicy, peppery, coffee, cassis jam flavours and lively sweet blackberry fruit flecked with cedar and tobacco. Fine- grained tight tannins on the long finish. Will need 3-5 years to really develop. Super bottle, only 348 cases. Serious.

94 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard 2002
Oakville, Napa Valley, California, United States
AB $225.00 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $264.95 Specialty
Winemaker Craig Williams hits all the right buttons with his 2002 Backus cabernet. Look for a deep purple colour. Rich blackberry jam, black olive and garrigue notes mix with spicy, waxy, vanilla and pepper aromas with a touch of tobacco and leather. Super rich and smooth on the palate with ripe but chunky tannins and more chocolate, blackberry jam, pepper, mineral, cassis, and tapenade flavours. Dense, ripe black fruit and good balance and a smoky, minty, vanilla finish. Still young and showing slightly rustic tannins but one to put away for a decade.

94 Yalumba The Octavius Edition XIII 2002
Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
CDN $99.99 Estimated Retail
Just bottled but already showing great promise - surely this will be a great Octavius. A perfect year it boasts dark brooding fruit with huge plummy, smoky, fruit aromas and flavours. Love the growing French oak presence (now 25 per cent) that tightens up the fruit and lengthens the palate. Lovely long smooth slippery tannins mark its ripe fruit and cherry vanilla finish. Super looking wine that will need a minimum decade to settle in. Won't be released until mid-2006.

93 Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Napa Valley, California, United States
BC $72.99 Specialty
Ripe peppery, spicy, saddle leather, blackberry jam, cardamom, Christmas pudding nose with some black olive and dusty chocolate highlights. Rich, ripe, concentrated and round with supple but grainy tannins. Big dark chocolate, peppery, cassis jam, blackberry, mocha vanilla flavours with some tobacco with a dusting of cherry cola on the finish. Very long and concentrated in the finish; should continue to improve for at least 10 more years.

93 Atalon Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Napa Valley, California, United States
AB $34.00 Fine Wine Boutiques; US $35.00 Winery
As usual this is a deep, dark, brooding cabernet. The nose is a mix of mint chocolate and smoky, black berry jam with subtle vanilla edges. The attack is young and aggressive but the tannins are round and well managed. Still a baby but the black berry dusty olives and orange peel spikes speak to the exotic. Like the merlot you can drink this now but patience will be rewarded over the next five to seven years minimum. Solid, front to back, like the vintage. The fruit comes off a maze of vineyards sources at Veeder Peak, Stagecoach, Peter Michael, Beckstoffer Tokalon and Rutherford, Keyes-Howell Mt., Oakville Home Estate and Diamond Mt.

92 Kaiken Ultra Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
US $23.00 Suggested Retail
Kaiken is a new project for Chilean wine giant Aurelio Montes that takes him to Argentina. "Kaiken" refers to native wild goose that traverses the Andes form both sides much like Montes. The blend 90/10 cabernet sauvignon/malbec is all French oak aged has lovely fruit and less spice than the Kaiken malbec. The palate is solid with warm, earthy fruit, flecked with tobacco. Fine integration and sophisticated styling allows the fruit to express fully its terroir. Will keep through 2010.