2012 Mount Mary Quintet Lilydale Cabernets

The 2012 Quintet is balanced and bloody on the nose; it's not as overtly savory perhaps as the 2014 tasted next to it, but certainly, there are gamey inflections entrenched in the red fruit. It has hints of clove and cardamom pod, roast beef crust and hints of asphalt/roadbase, moving in the more mineral/ozone/petrichor space. There are also notes of lead pencil and graphite. This is an intriguing wine. It finishes clean and mineral and cool. It's as tight as it is persistent. I find this to be quite a zen/placid wine, like the surface of a still body of water—unbroken and seamless. I like it a lot. It may be more polarizing than some others in this lineup, but for me, this is the picture of elegance. "A foot in the old-school Mount Mary camp, I feel like my grandpa would really take his hat off to that, in the context of the 1970s and 1980s." 12.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. The back label reads: "In loving memory of Marli Russel 1926 - 2012."

44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot plus the other three ingredients. Dark crimson colour and whistle-clean on the nose. Some my find it too lean. Chalky texture on the finish and slightly saline. Still quite youthful (an observation that sent Sam Middleton into the cellar to produce the next two wines, much to my delight). (JR)

A moderate vintage that is delivering a wine with good shape and style to it. There is a lot of cassis and red plums, as well as some really attractive cedary and violety notes. The merlot shines here. It also shows graphite, dark stony notes and fine, fluid tannins. A succulent and fine tannin finish. Sweet mulberries and plums, too. A great wine. Drink now or hold.