Home
: 2018 Xanadu "Estate" Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Western Australia

2018 Xanadu "Estate" Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Western Australia

SKU #1481630 94 points James Halliday

Outer quote mark 92% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot, 3% malbec. 4 weeks on skins. 40% new French oak for 14 months. Olive paste, gum leaf and blackcurrant flavours flow slowly into cedar wood and vanilla cream, the latter more texture than overt flavour. It sits at the upper end of medium weight, the flavours cruising through the mouth with confident ease. Inner quote mark (8/2020)

94 points James Suckling

Outer quote mark A very attractively ripe and fresh expression of cabernet with a deep blueberry and plum nose. Cedary and lightly spiced, woody notes, as well as earthy nuances. The smooth, sleek and evenly proportioned palate has such fine tannins and beautifully proportioned build to the richly fruited finish, which is drenched in plums, blueberries and cassis. Inner quote mark (4/2020)

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark Red-berry and some earthy, savory aromas here. The palate has undeniably fleshy, red-plum, licorice and chocolate flavors. Classic regional identity. Drink or hold. Inner quote mark (1/2020)

Wine Spectator

Outer quote mark Spicy, with star anise and black licorice notes accenting the espresso, cassis and spiced plum flavors at the core. Appealingly concentrated and dense, featuring thick, toothsome tannins. Shows great focus on the long finish. A hint of bay leaf lingers. Inner quote mark (8/2020)

Share |

2018 Xanadu "Estate" Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Western Australia

Price: $24.99

Quantity:

JH: 94

JS: 94

RP: 92

Real Time Inventory by location:

The item you have chosen is not in stock in our retail stores or within our main warehouse.

Product turnaround time varies by location of inventory and your chosen method of shipping/pickup. For a detailed explanation click here.

Related Items

Product Reviews:

By: Thomas Smith | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/31/2020 | Send Email

It's hard to for me to find a wine that I really love more than Xanadu Cabernet for Margaret River, Western Australia. Margaret River is one of the world's greatest sites for world-class Cabernet, and in my opinion, is the best in the world for Cabernet value. With a climate strikingly similar to Napa Valley, Robert Mondavi pioneered this region in the early 70s, helping producers like Leeuwin Estate craft bold, rich, and fruit-forward Cabernet. Xanadu was purchased by Rathbone wine group in 2005, who immediately undertook a decade long process to restoring this exceptional estate. Their investments paid off when the 2016 Xanadu Cabernet won Australia's Jimmy Watson Trophy, the most prestigious award in Australian wine. Having tasted both wines, the 2018 is right on par with the 2016. Big, bold, and black fruited with black cassis, dark cherry and graphite notes, the power of this wine is driven entirely by the fruit profile, but held in a balanced frame. The peppermint character you find in most Margaret River Cabernet is turned down here, and adds the slightest accent to the aroma profile, as are the tannins, which are buttery smooth, and give the wine structure without even a hint of bitterness. Having opened it for a New York Strip Steak, the pairing reaffirmed how excellent the quality that Xanadu has achieved year-in-year out, and how exceptional this wine is for the price.

Fans of this product include:

Heather Vander Wall

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking. A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

Australia

- While it is true that the greatest strides in Australian winemaking have come in the last 30 years or so, commercial viticulture began as early as the 1820s and has developed uninterrupted ever since. The majority of the great wine regions are in the southeastern area of the continent, including Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, and Coonawarra in South Australia; Yarra Yarra Valley and Pyrenees in Victoria; and the Upper and Lower Hunter Valleys in New South Wales. Many of the wines from Southeastern Australia are based on Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon and various blends including Grenache and Mourvedre. In Western Australia, along the Margaret River, great strides are being made with Pinot Noir as well as Bordeaux-styled reds. There are also many world-class releases of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from the land Down Under, where Riesling also enjoys international acclaim. While many equate Aussie wines with “value,” there are more than a few extremely rare and pricey options, which never fail to earn the highest ratings from wine publications and critics throughout the world.

Sub-Region:

Western Australia

Specific Appellation: