2022 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon Organic, Clare Valley

Deep-ish red with a good bright tint of purple and the bouquet is all about mulberry, cassis, blackberry—sweetly ripe fruit without any greener touches. It's also deliciously sweet and fruit-ripe on the tongue, with charming fruit flavours of berries and a hint of cola or sarsaparilla, the tannins supplying excellent structure and adding to the very long aftertaste. An outstanding cabernet. Long cellaring potential but it's also delicious to drink young. 27 Mar 2024 Drink 2024–2040

92 points Huon Hooke therealreview.com

The Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon Organic from Clare Valley is a wine of serious intent, balancing bold structure with finesse and purity. Stephanie Toole, the winemaker and owner of Mount Horrocks Wines, has long been an advocate for certified organic viticulture and minimal intervention winemaking. Her small but mighty Clare Valley operation is known for producing hand-crafted wines that express site, variety and vintage with clarity and integrity.

This Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a single vineyard in the cooler Auburn sub-region of Clare, where the elevation and afternoon breezes help to retain freshness and aromatics. Grown without herbicides or pesticides, and hand-picked at optimal ripeness, the fruit is treated gently in the winery, fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in high-quality French oak (around 40% new) for 18 months.

In the glass, it delivers layers of blackcurrant, mulberry and cassis alongside cedar, tobacco leaf and graphite. The palate is rich but balanced, with fine tannins, vibrant acidity and a savoury backbone that makes it incredibly food-friendly. There’s depth and drive here — a serious Clare Cabernet that doesn’t try to overpower, but rather impresses with harmony and detail.

Pair with rosemary-crusted lamb, grilled mushrooms or a robust lentil ragu. While it's drinking well now with a decant, this wine will comfortably cellar for 10 to 15 years, developing more complexity and elegance with age.