1998 Clarendon Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Sandown Vineyard

The opaque purple-colored 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Sandown Vineyard displays a dense nose of cassis and jammy cherry fruit intermixed with licorice, tobacco, tar, and dried herbs. Thick, powerful, full-bodied, and moderately tannic, this wine will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring and keep for two decades. This immense, super-concentrated, muscular wine appears to mirror the personality and stature of proprietor/winemaker Roman Bratasiuk. Clarendon Hills produces some of my favorite Australian wines, and readers looking for flavor, personality, and pleasure, should seek out this limited production gem. Imported by The Australian Premium Wine Collection, John Larchet, USA Wine West, LLC, San Rafael, CA; phone: (800)-485-5753 and Chicago Brands, Chicago, IL; tel. (312) 466-9300.