2020 West Cape Howe Book Ends Cabernet Sauvignon, Great Southern

A really impressive cool climate cabernet from what was an early but intense vintage, especially for red varieties. The nose exudes all the blackcurrant varietal character you could want with deeper dark plum and a little mulberry. A subtle leaf and a trace of black olive add further notes of complexity. Structured with fine tannins and infused oak. It’s still pretty tight but there is serious potential here.

95 points rayjordan.com.au

West Cape Howe Book Ends Cabernet Sauvignon from Great Southern is a flagship expression of one of Western Australia’s most reliable and highly regarded producers. This wine is made from fruit grown in the cool climate of Mount Barker, one of the oldest and most elevated subregions in the Great Southern. The region's gravelly loams and long ripening season give rise to Cabernet Sauvignon with remarkable structure, elegance, and age-worthiness.

The winemaking team, led by Gavin Berry, selects only the finest parcels of estate-grown fruit for the Book Ends label. The grapes are harvested at optimal ripeness, fermented in small batches, and matured in a combination of new and seasoned French oak barriques for around 18 months. The result is a wine of concentration and finesse, with a tightly coiled core of dark fruit framed by polished tannins and savoury complexity.

In the glass, this Cabernet Sauvignon delivers layers of cassis, black cherry, and mulberry, interwoven with notes of cedar, tobacco leaf, graphite, and subtle dried herbs. There's a freshness and precision to the palate, with juicy acidity balancing the richness of the fruit and a fine-grained tannin structure carrying the finish long and firm.

Food pairings include dry-aged ribeye, slow-braised beef cheeks with rosemary, or a classic roast lamb with garlic and anchovy. It also works beautifully with aged cheddar or a hearty mushroom ragù. Cellaring potential is excellent, with the wine expected to evolve gracefully over 10 to 15 years, gaining in complexity and depth.