I know I use a lot of quotes from people who are famous, infamous and all those in between but I try to ensure they are relevant to what or who I am writing about. And, guess what? Here I go again with another that I think is pertinent to Huntington Estate winemaker, Tim Stevens. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Thanks, this time, to Will Durant, an American historian and philosopher.

I have been lucky enough, and had the privilege, to have tried many wines from Huntington Estate for close to eight years now. It may well be me, but I think Tim has developed the very good habit of ‘excellence’ when it comes to the wines he sends out into the world. This Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz blend is part of the ‘habit of excellence’ that Tim has.

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $100    Source: Samples thanks kindly to Huntington Estate

This is such a wine that even the aromas don’t let up. They keep on giving as they keep on drawing you back to experience them again. Obviously, there came a time to actually try the wine. Rich and deeply generous, there is much on offer from this youthfully exuberant Cabernet Shiraz blend. A tame full-bodied wine with lovely dark fruits courtesy of blackberries, blackcurrants, some dark plums and cherries. Complementing those characters are; creamy dark chocolate, a little earthiness, savouriness and tannin presence, and a finish that, just like the aromas, keeps on giving. Great!