2022 Stella Bella Luminosa Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

No denying this is a good wine, but it is a few years away from being a very good wine – it’s a bit brash at the moment. However, there’s lovely fruit, all mulberries and blackberries, a whole kitchen cabinet worth of spices with cedary oak, camphor and a hint of eucalypt. Ripe flavours and an intensity across the fuller-bodied palate where the textural tannins and acidity come into play. Open this in its youth, then match it to appropriate food, but best to cellar it and be richly rewarded.

95 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au

From cooler southern Margaret River vineyards, this Cabernet Sauvignon shows a brighter, more medium bodied expression of the region, shaped by coastal influence and careful picking for freshness. Luminosa sits in Stella Bella’s range as a vibrant, drink now style, but it still carries the structural clarity that defines Margaret River Cabernet. Under winemaker Luke Jolliffe, the focus is on perfume, balance and drinkability rather than sheer density.

Winemaking is geared toward preserving fruit lift and supple tannin. Extraction is gentle and oak is used with restraint, framing the wine without overshadowing the varietal character. The aim is a Cabernet that feels polished yet energetic.

Deep ruby in colour, the aromas open with blackcurrant, red cherry and plum, followed by violets, bay leaf and a hint of cedar. There is a lifted herbal edge that signals classic Cabernet character.

The palate is medium bodied and silky, with dark berry fruit wrapped in fine, soft tannins and bright acidity. Flavours of cassis and cherry flow into savoury spice and gentle earth, finishing clean and persistent. The texture is smooth and approachable, built for immediate enjoyment.

It pairs effortlessly with roast beef, lamb, burgers and tomato based dishes. Drinking beautifully now, it will hold comfortably for five to eight years, gaining subtle savoury complexity.

This is Margaret River Cabernet in an easygoing voice, fragrant, balanced and made for everyday pleasure.