2020 Flowstone Queen of the Earth Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

The Covid vintage of 2020 was a very good one for cabernet. It was a brief harvest, and before you knew it, the fruit was picked. Deep notes of black fruits, dark chocolate, and a slightly leafy, olive-like character open on the nose. The palate is concentrated and rich, with dark fruits balanced by a fine, minerally oyster-shell edge and a touch of cedary oak. This wine is coming together beautifully and, in a few years, will be drinking superbly. Drink to 2032.

96 points Ray Jordan, Wine Review 2026

Taut, tense and elegant- it’s a restraint style. Blackberry bush, vanilla, tonka bean, chocolate. Lighter in style, but juicy foot-stomped mulberry and cassis add plushness. A gentler Margaret River Cabernet, modern and refined. There’s an air of spearmint and snowy mountain mists. Gentle, well-made. This wine is yet to see its peak – revisit in three years if you’re patient. Drink to 2040.

93 points Cyndal Petty for Wine Pilot, September 2025

Tertiary flavours mingle with some fresher ones so expect new leather and freshly rolled tobacco with cassis, blackcurrants and redcurrants all dusted with baking spices, licorice root and dried herbs. There’s also a lot of oak here; it's drying, nutty, cedary and dampens the wine somewhat. Fuller-bodied, sinewy tannins and a pucker of sappiness/bitter green walnut on the finish. Drink to 2031.

91 points Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, July 2025

Deep-ish and bright red in the glass with a tinge of purple; the bouquet revealing attractive red fruits and dried herbs, the palate elegant and sinewy, lean and dry, with a firmly drying and slightly sappy vein of tannin running through. There is a trace of green herb in the wine as well as elegance. Cellaring is recommended. Drink to 2036.

91 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, November 2024

A slow-burning dinner party centre piece for the cooler months, pairing well with ribeye served with a creamy porcini and morel sauce and crispy garlic-rosemary potatoes. It’ll show its best sides with a good swirl in the decanter beforehand.

More about this wine

The most famous cave of the Margaret River region, the Lake Cave, was named Queen of the Earth At the time of its discovery for its breathtakingly beautiful crystalline formations. This crystal wonderland is located just six kilometres from Flowstone’s home vineyard in Forest Grove.

Cabernet Sauvignon was viewed by many to be the standout variety in the warm and dry Maragret River 2020 season.

About Flowstone

Flowstone Wines is the creation of winemakers Stuart Pym and Janice McDonald, who craft small batches that reflect the spirit of Margaret River. Based in the Forest Grove area, they also lease a vineyard further down south in Karridale, and source some fruit from Wilyabrup. The names of their wines pay tribute to the stunning geological formations of the region.