Australian Wine at its finest | Kangaroo Island | Cape e'Estaing Wines

October 2006 2003 Cape d'Estaing Cabernet Sauvignon Rating: 90 points Producer: Cape d'Estaing From: Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon (a dry red table wine) Drink: 2006-2018 Estimated Cost: $45.00 Source: Wine Advocate #167 (Oct 2006) The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (from 10-year old vines) exhibits a deep ruby/purple color as well as a classic Bordeaux perfume of cedarwood, black currants, tobacco leaves, and spice. Rich, full-bodied, powerful, and moderately tannic, it should be consumed over the next 10-12 years. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (888) 472-5283 —Robert Parker
2004 Cape d'Estaing Cabernet Sauvignon Admirals Reserve Rating: 91 points Producer: Cape d'Estaing From: Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon (a dry red table wine) Estimated Cost: $120.00 Source: Wine Advocate #167 (Oct 2006) The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Admirals Reserve reveals a saturated inky/purple hue as well as additional graphite, creme de cassis, cedar, and spice characteristics, and a structured personality with great depth, richness, and muscle. It is an impressive wine that shows what Cabernet Sauvignon can achieve in the hands of impeccable growers and winemakers. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (888) 472-5283 —Robert Parker

2003 Cape d'Estaing Shiraz Rating: 90 points Producer: Cape d'Estaing From: Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia Variety: Syrah (a dry red table wine) Drink: 2006-2014 Estimated Cost: $45.00 Source: Wine Advocate #167 (Oct 2006) The dense ruby/purple-colored 2003 Shiraz exhibits a distinctive earthy component along with loads of spice, black currant, plum, and sweet pepper-like characteristics, full body, beautiful fruit, and surprising acidity as well as freshness. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (888) 472-5283 —Robert Parker

2005 Cape d'Estaing Shiraz Admiral's Reserve Rating: (92-94) points Producer: Cape d'Estaing From: Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia Variety: Syrah (a dry red table wine) Drink: 2008-2021 Estimated Cost: $120.00 Source: Wine Advocate #167 (Oct 2006) A barrel sample of the 2005 Shiraz Admiral’s Reserve ratchets up the level of concentration significantly. An inky/purple color is accompanied by a fabulous creme de cassis-scented bouquet revealing notions of smoked meats, creosote, blackberries, and acacia flowers. This deep, powerful, rich, muscular Shiraz will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and should drink well for 10-15. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (888) 472-5283 —Robert Parker

Translation of October 6 1999 Tasting Notes by Rene Gabriel Caves Movenpick SA, Switzerland 1998 Cape d’Estaing Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Extremely dense violet-black. Enormous cassis, blackberries and black cherry bouquet, raw sugar sweetness, Cinnamon, smoky, concentrated, deep, presents already in the nose an enormous hard-hitting impression. On the palate full, fleshy, sensational balance between character-giving Cabernet and spicy Shiraz, total concentration, sensationally put-together in the winery. Top Australian wine which belongs to the elite. 18/20 drink 2008	TASTING REPORT FROM WINE SPECTATOR SEP 18 2001 FROM; HARVEY STEIMAN WINE JOURNALIST 2001 cde shiraz and cabernet 87 points.

As published in The Wine Advocate…. A Premium US Wine magazine (1999) CAPE D’ESTAING 1998 CABERNET SAUVIGNON KANGAROO ISLAND RED 92+ CAPE D’ESTAING 1998 SHIRAZ KANGAROO ISLAND RED 94 These are the first wines I have ever tasted from the tiny island off the coast of Adelaide. Yields for both efforts were a lowly one ton of fruit per acre. The vineyards are young (5 years), but the spectacular quality of these first releases is sure to make consumers take notice of this island operation. Fortunately there are 1600 cases of each wine. The Cabernet Sauvignon (13.4% alcohol and aged in French oak) displays a thick looking, opaque purple colour as well as a terrific nose of black currants, cedar, spice box and minerals. Medium to full-bodied, with outstanding purity, remarkable symmetry and potential complexity for a young wine, this beautifully proportioned, intensely concentrated Cabernet should be at its best after another 2-4 years of cellaring. It should last for two decades.
The flashier 1998 Shiraz (aged in American oak) exhibits terrific blackberry jam-like aromas intermixed with sweet pepper, espresso and vanilla scents. Super concentrated, loaded with ripe fruit, and impressively pure and layered, this is a dazzling Shiraz from an island down under. Despite the fact that it tasted powerful, the alcohol is only 14.1%. Drink this sumptuous Shiraz over the next 10-15 years.

From: “Wine Exchange” (USA) December 1999 AUSTRALIA 1999 finale A Star is born CAPE d’ESTAING CABERNET 98 This would be one of the wine stories of the year next year (which will be when most people will hear it) even if this wasn’t one of the most impressive new names to come along for wine. The fast that the wines are sensational only adds to the lustre. This wine is grown on an island off the coast of mainland Australia called Kangaroo Island. As we understand it, the island was chosen to be a repository for a variety of species from the continent, essentially something between Noah’s Ark and Jurassic Park. What was supposed to be an isolated sanctuary, in the end, turned out to be an ecological disaster, destroying most the plant life on the island. Sometime thereafter, someone decided that, since the land was trashed anyway, why not stick a few grape vines in the ground and see what happens, mates! What came to pass, in 1998 anyway, were the materials to make what we expect will be another superstar in the amazing portfolio of Dan “the Bacon Man” Philips. We can already hear the reviews. “Deep saturated colour, dense, extracted fruit on the palate, layer upon layer of cassis, black cherry, chocolate and earth flavours, low acidity, and commanding presence on the palate, this is a thrilling winemaking tour de force! Who’s going to miss a few marsupials when wine like this is the Darwinian alternative. Bravo…” CAPE d’ESTAING SHIRAZ 98 Now don’t judge our enthusiasm by the length of the two Cape d’Estaing pieces. We consider them equal in the glass, but picked the Cabernet as the vehicle to tell the amazing story of this wine. You can buy either, or both, with the confidence that you are getting a bonafide member of the Grateful Palate “Inkblot Collection.” The descriptions, with the exception of a slight leaning to more the black cherry than blackberry, read almost identically. Dark, extracted, thick, intense, full throttle, packed with dense fruit, ripe tannins, and low acidity, this wine on its own would turn many heads. As part of a dynamic due from out of the blue, its anybody’s guess what the impact will be. A must!