Purple Thunder from Down Under!

Name: Penfolds Thomas Hyland Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Adelaide

Country: Australia

Year: 2012

Price: $9.95 (on sale from $14.95)

1. Critic Reviews: m+ depth garnet. cassis, black currant, eucalyptus, typical CS flavours from South Australia. jammy, powdery tannins, m+ bodied, a little hot in finish. it a fine table wine, but simple, no interesting points if regarded as a boutique wine.

2. Dark Burgundy color. Nose plant, Woody aroma, smoky and ripe fruit. Good astringency has decanted at least 1 h. We find the same flavors in the mouth. Lack of finesse and complexity. Little taste of SOAP in the background.(translated from French with babelfish.com)

3. Nice value here. Generous fruit, body and weight, juicy acidity. This fits nicely in between the Koonunga Hill and the Bin 9 wines. Actually, very close to the Bin 9. I would buy again.
~ All three consumer reviews from cellartracker.com; couldn't find any pro reviews.
~http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1686300

My Review: I got six different bottles from the Vintage Cellar on Sunday, hoping to experience a bit of the world beyond what's generally considered typical wine territory. I followed up my white appetizer from Texas this evening with this Cabernet Sauvignon from down under. The deep purple color of this Australian Cab. is so dark that when I held it up in front of a window, I still couldn't see light through it. We're looking at DEEP purple. The aroma is what I have learned people call black currants (though I've never smelled or eaten black currants, personally). I thought there might be somewhat of a hint of licorice - not much - or something else in there, as well. The taste confirmed the black currants to me and the mouth feel was very tannic with additional flavors of black tea and lingering pepper on the tongue. I was hoping it would go well with the beef teriyaki but the pairing was only marginally ok. I'll probably drink what's left with some cheeses later in the week.

By the way, this week's world tour has France, Argentina, and Italy to come (Plus I have another bottle from Oz, as well - a Shiraz). Boyer has turned me into a nearly-daily wine consumer! :)