2022 Xanadu Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

Such purity of fruit coming through alongside an enticing fragrance and, as usual, detail and precision across the palate. A richer, slightly generous offering yet the essence of cabernet with cassis, mulberries dusted in spice, licorice and some nori, and the cedary oak neatly etched into the wine. The fuller-bodied palate is complete with lovely tannins – plentiful, if fine – with a long, long finish. Classy cabernet; a great reserve.

96 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au

Xanadu Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the crown jewels of Margaret River, a powerful yet poised red that consistently earns its place among Australia’s top Cabernet Sauvignons. Crafted by Glenn Goodall and his team at Xanadu, this flagship wine is drawn from the best parcels of fruit—often from their Stevens Road vineyard in the Wallcliffe subregion, where gravelly loam soils and proximity to the Indian Ocean create the perfect storm of structure, perfume and finesse.

Margaret River has long been hailed as a Cabernet wonderland thanks to its maritime climate, long growing season and ancient soils. But not all sites are created equal, and the fruit that goes into this Reserve bottling shows remarkable consistency year after year. Low yields, hand harvesting, small batch ferments and 100 percent French oak maturation (with a healthy portion new) are just part of the story. The rest is patience, intuition and the kind of winemaking that lets the vineyard do the talking.

In the glass, the wine is deep and inky, with lifted aromatics of cassis, dark cherry, graphite and bay leaf, laced with cedar, cocoa nibs and violets. It’s layered and expressive, but never overwrought. The palate is structured yet supple, with a fine line of acidity and perfectly integrated oak. There’s richness without heaviness, polish without slickness, and a long, savoury finish that speaks of both fruit purity and fine tannin detail.

It’s a wine that rewards decanting and sings with classic pairings like roast lamb with rosemary, chargrilled ribeye, duck with blackcurrant jus or a truffle mushroom pie. It also has immense ageing potential—ten to fifteen years easily, and longer in top vintages.

Xanadu’s Reserve Cabernet has collected a glittering array of awards, from multiple trophies at the National Wine Show of Australia to critical acclaim from James Halliday and Ray Jordan. It’s a benchmark for the region and a wine that continues to overdeliver on complexity, elegance and sheer drinking pleasure.