2014 Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Hourglass Estate Reserve includes some barrel-fermented fruit and seemed already to be shutting down ever so slightly. Deep ruby/purple with notes of cedar wood, fruitcake, blackcurrants and vanillin, the wine has lush fruit, moderate tannin and seems almost atypically more structured and backward for a 2014 than many.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is fresh, nuanced and wonderfully delineated throughout, but also captures plenty of fruit intensity. Delineated, vibrant and layered, the 2014 is persistent and bright in the glass, with good complexity and enough depth to drink well for the next year or two. Mint and eucalyptus add further shades of nuance. The 2014 is a bit nervous today, but time in bottle should help the wine flesh out a bit further.

A big, full-throttle wine, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is shaping up to be a real beauty. Mint, eucalyptus, spice and crème de cassis meld together in a sumptuous, inky Cabernet built on pure texture. Because of the cooler season, the minty note that often comes through in this wine is a bit more pronounced than it often is.