Have you ever driven the Great Ocean Road? I’ve been lucky to have done it, albeit only once, but it left an indelible mark. It’s a stretch of coastline that distracts you, in the best possible way, with rainforests, beaches, clifftops, views of Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean, and you can’t drive past the Twelve Apostles (even if there are only seven of them now 😊). You stop more than you plan to, take longer than you expect, and you never tire of any of it. Even now, whenever I see it on television, I get nostalgic for that drive.
Huntington Estate wines give me a similar feeling. Long story short, thanks to some old friends, I first tasted their wines in the late 1980s and loved them straight away. Seeing previous owner and winemaker, Bob Roberts, on Wine Lovers Guide to Australia in the late ’90s reignited my interest. Fast forward to 2017 and I was re‑introduced to the wines, and that sealed the deal for me. Now, when their wines arrive at my door, I’m genuinely excited, and when I open wines like this Cabernet Sauvignon, I’m taken straight back to that first taste nearly forty years ago.
Here’s how the 2021 release carries that sense of return, familiarity and pleasure.
Live simply. Laugh often. Wine a lot.
Region: Mudgee, NSW Price: $35 Source: Sample thanks kindly to Huntington Estate
It needed some coaxing but the nose slowly opens to black fruits, a touch of oak and a gentle herbal lift. The palate still carries a good juiciness, with black fruits leading and a bright red‑fruit hit adding freshness even at five years of age. There’s a little earthiness showing through while a creamy vanilla note softens things nicely. A herbal thread runs through the fruit adding interest and keeping things savoury while the fine, slightly drying tannins give it some structure. The finish is long and still wonderfully fruitful showing how well this wine has settled into itself. Drinking beautifully now, but there’s no rush. It still has more to give.
