2020 Castelli Estate Il Liris Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Malbec, Great Southern

A blend of 51% cabernet sauvignon, 38% shiraz and 11% malbec. The top of the rungs wine from Castelli. A regal, rich and potent red wine, layered with lavish woody spice, choc-berry fruit character, detail of sage leaf and rosemary herbal character, licorice in spades with some black olive tapenade in tow. So very much going on in both the aromas and flavours. Texture is potent, lush, but set amongst a web of gravelly tannin and finishes with a flourish of woody malt and sweet spice. Thunderous red, done well in its motif. Drink 2023–2038

94 points Mike Bennie for Halliday Wine Companion, February 2024

Full and deep ruby colour. Stewed plums, vanilla oil and roasting meat aromatics. Big and weighty on the palate, very ripe plum fruits are bound by gravelly tannins with oak spices and a sweet vanillin note across the line. Goes long and those tannins ensure a bone-dry end. Needs a little more time, and or a serious protein to absorb those tannins. Drink 2026–2038.

91 points Stuart Knox for The Real Review, November 2024

The 2020 Il Liris Rouge is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (51%), Shiraz (38%), and Malbec (11%) from a vineyard in Frankland River. On the nose, the wine leads with licorice, dark chocolate and mint, blackberry coulis and lashings of dried herbs. On the palate, the wine is very ripe and shows some bottle-aged complexity. The tannins are profuse but starting to soften, and the acidity is a little tangy through the finish. 2020 was a warm, dry season, and this shows in the wine—the texture is dry and a little dusty in the mouth. Attractive concentration of fruit is the lasting impression here. Drink 2024–2035.

91 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, November 2022

The fruit for the Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Il Liris is sourced from Frankland River, Great Southern's sub-region  known for its structured red wines. Ancient gravelly ironstone soils and considerable diurnal temperature variation contribute to wines of particular precision and depth. Cabernet Sauvignon is complimented with Shiraz and Malbec in supporting roles. The proportion of each varies by vintage depending on barrel selection and seasonal character.

In 2020 a low-cropping season produced Shiraz of particular tannin intensity, and a higher proportion was included than in previous vintages. The Malbec was notably expressive, contributing tannin structure, depth of colour and an accent on the varietal fruit characters. The aim in barrel selection was structure first, fruit weight second, a suitably Italian approach to Cabernets built for the cellar rather than immediate drinking.

Deep crimson, the nose shows cassis, dark plum and earthy spice with the Shiraz adding a savoury, peppery thread and the Frankland River ironstone signature underneath. The palate is full-bodied and layered with firm, structured tannins, good fruit depth and a long finish. Five years on it is just starting to settle but would benefit from further time in bottle.

This is best served with a decent amount of flavour, and while resonably young might be best paired in braised beef short ribs with rich gravy, a lamb roast or Korean galbi jjim. With a bit of extra time in bottle, food matches can include similar flavours, but with more elegant preparations.

Drink now through 2035.