2016 Robert Oatley The Pennant Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

From the Justin Vineyard, hand-picked, berry-sorted, wild yeast-open fermentInteresting wine. Autocratic cabernet with tannins, earth, black olive and savoury aromas and flavours ringing the bells, cassis/blackcurrant kept firmly in the back seat in company with oak.

96 points James Halliday winecompanion.com.au August 2020

The 2016 Robert Oatley The Pennant Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River is a powerful, finely sculpted wine that captures everything that makes this region one of the world’s great homes for Cabernet. The Pennant is the pinnacle of the Oatley family’s portfolio, produced only in outstanding vintages and sourced from their best blocks in Wilyabrup, where Cabernet develops perfect ripeness, natural structure, and that unmistakable coastal finesse.

The Wilyabrup subregion is the beating heart of Margaret River Cabernet. Its gravelly loam soils, maritime breezes, and long, even growing season create fruit with deep colour, concentrated cassis flavours, and beautifully shaped tannins. The 2016 season was close to perfect, with a warm summer followed by cool nights that locked in freshness and purity. Yields were low, berries were small, and the resulting wine shows incredible definition.

The fruit was hand picked and fermented in small batches with gentle extraction to preserve elegance. Maturation took place for more than two years in premium French oak, a portion new, giving the wine complexity and polish without overwhelming the varietal character. Additional bottle ageing before release allowed the structure to settle into harmony.

In the glass it shows a deep garnet colour. The aroma is intense and layered, offering blackcurrant, mulberry, and dark cherry woven with bay leaf, cedar, graphite, tobacco, and a touch of cocoa. Hints of violet and warm earth add further complexity.

The palate is full and confident yet beautifully balanced. Concentrated black fruit flows across a framework of fine, persistent tannins. Notes of cassis, plum, dark chocolate, savoury oak, and dried herbs sit over a long, mineral finish shaped by fresh coastal acidity. It is both powerful and composed, a hallmark of top tier Margaret River Cabernet.

This wine shines with roast lamb, beef rib, venison, hard cheeses, mushroom dishes, or anything with rosemary, thyme, or slow cooked richness. It has at least fifteen to twenty years of life ahead and will evolve into something wonderfully complex with time, gaining notes of cigar box, truffle, and dried flowers.