2017 Robert Oatley The Pennant Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

A small volume wine of the highest quality. The fruit comes from both Wilyabrup and the more northern Yallingup, which brings a strong varietal leafy black olive power into the more generous southern fruit. The powerful fruit has easily absorbed the 15-months mix of new and one-year-old oak, while the tannins retain a slick fine edge to support an effortlessly long palate. Still a little closed on the finish as you might expect but there is so much waiting to reveal itself with further ageing. Drink to 2040.

96 points Ray Jordan for Wine Pilot, July 2021

The 2017 vintage was cool and wet in Margaret River, but the cabernets that achieved ripeness were of brilliant quality. Salty, savoury and moving to secondary flavours already. This feels aged beyond its years at this point, although the savoury spice and firm structure are not without their charms. Dense texture and cohesion on the palate, clove and star anise to finish. Drink to 2036.

94 points Erin Larkin for Halliday Wine Companion, August 2021

Deep red colour with a good tint of purple, and an attractive fruit-led bouquet that speaks clearly of cabernet. Cassis, sundry berries, crushed-leafy high notes, oak neatly disciplined in the background, the tannins present and are quite obvious but not too oaky or astringent. A very smart wine: stylish, elegant, intense and concentrated, with length and obvious ageing potential. A ripper. Drink to 2037.

93 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, July 2021

More about this wine

The Pennant wines represent the pinnacle of Robert Oatley Wines.

This wine hails from the 2017 vintage that kept workers in the vineyard busy throught the long growing season that saw everchanging weather patterns. Potential fruit quality for the late picked vintage was outstanding.

The fruit was handpicked and further sorted by hand and the small batch ferments run for up to six weeks. The wine was matured for fifteen months in a combination of first and second fill low toast French oak barrels. A final selection of seven barrels were blended for the wine that is 70% Wilyabrup, with the balance from Yallingup Hills, and mostly of the Houghton clonal material.

About Robert Oatley Wines

Robert Oatley Wines was founded by the late Robert (Bob) Oatley AO BEM. Today the family business is led by Bob’s eldest son Sandy Oatley and includes a sizable portfolio of wine brands as all as a well-established distribution arm.