2022 Flametree Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

A thoroughly beautiful expression of Margaret River cabernet. Perfumed with seductive notes of violet floating above blackberry and a decent dollop of dark chocolate. The palate reveals a rich texture with a firmish core of fine tannin and well-managed oak sliding through it. A subtle minerally character slices to the long finish. A powerful wine of poise and polish. Drink 2026 to 2035.

94 points Ray Jordan

Perfumed aromas of Damson plums, dark cherries, violets and cassia bark. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of boysenberries, wild blackberries, dried herbs and graphite. Vibrant and pure. Drink or hold.

93 points James Suckling, November 2024

Sixteen months' maturation in French oak has softened the tannin profile and the cassis-accented fruit. A medium-bodied, well-balanced palate with time on its side. Drink 2024 to 2032.

91 points James Halliday for Halliday Wine Companion, November 2023

Medium-deep red with a tinge of purple. There are earthy raspberry and squishy ripe mulberries on the nose, hints of chocolate and vanilla, while the palate is medium-full bodied and quite lively in its tannins. This begs for hearty food. There is good cabernet flavour here and it would reward medium-term cellaring, or the company of protein. Drink 2025 to 2034.

90 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, December 2024

Established by the Towner family in 2007, Flametree built its reputation quickly by winning the Jimmy Watson Trophy with their very first red wine, a result that announced them as a serious force in Margaret River from day one. Winemaker Cliff Royle, who joined in 2009, selects fruit from growers across Margaret River's distinct subregions, a model that gives him the freedom to source the best parcels the region offers each vintage rather than being tied to a single site. Flametree has held a Halliday Five Red Stars rating since 2011.

The 2022 Cabernet draws on three subregions, Yallingup, Wilyabrup and Wallcliffe. The core comes from the Brushwood vineyard on Commonage Road in Yallingup, complemented by the Joliffe vineyard in Wilyabrup and the Rosapark vineyard in Wallcliffe. All sites are north-facing on gravelly loam soils, producing small berries and bunches of natural concentration. The 2022 season was hot and dry after a challenging spring, delivering low yields but excellent fruit quality. Fruit parcels were cold soaked before wild fermentation in open top fermenters, then matured for sixteen months in French oak with 28% new barrels. Lightly fined before bottling.

Perfumed and immediately appealing — violet, blackberry and dark cherry on the nose, with cassia bark, dark chocolate and a subtle mineral thread. The palate is medium to full-bodied with supple tannins, bright acidity and a long, polished finish.

A wine of poise and genuine cellaring potential. Open well ahead of serving alongside a rack of lamb or slow-braised beef. Drink from 2026 through to 2035.