Deepish red colour with a tint of purple and a reserved, subtly fragrant bouquet of multi-faceted floral aromas, roses to the fore, with red rather than dark fruits, raspberry included and subtle spice touches. The palate is all about elegance and detail rather than power or concentration for their own sake. The tannins are especially refined. A very stylish wine indeed. (Grown on the original Woodlands Vineyard on Caves Road, planted 1973)
96 points, The Real Review (March 2020)
Deep, black fruit, dark mint chocolate and nougat, cedar, vanilla and toast oak, latent floral perfume under all that. Tense, powerful, black fruit, some redcurrant freshness peeking though, in with tobacco and perfume. A spine of firm tannin, crisp acidity, backed up with plenty of oak. Choc-nougat flavour in the long aftertaste. Very tight. Needs a decade or more.
95+ points, The Wine Front (March 2020)
Each year, the Woodlands Cabernet Sauvignon is named after a different family member. The 2016 Clementine Eloise Woodlands Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon boasts wonderfully pure cassis aromas, with subtle underpinnings of vanilla and baking spices. It's medium to full-bodied, plush and silky, adding notes of raspberries, mulberries and vanilla along the way to a long, mouthwatering finish. The Cabernet Sauvignon (94% of the blend) comes from the estate's original 1973 plantings, while the balance is 4% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc.
95 points, Wine Advocate (January 2020)
Margaret River
Located three hours south of Perth, Margaret River is Western Australia’s most prestigious wine-growing region. Serious vineyard development began only in the late 1960’s following the publication of a report by John Gladstones in 1965 stating that the area had a similar climate to Pomerol or St Emilion, with low frost risk, plenty of sunshine and equable temperatures within the growing season promoting even ripening. Margaret River’s climate is warm and maritime, with some cooling influence provided by southeast trade winds. The soils derive from granitic and a gneissic rock over which laterite has formed. The region can be divided in three sub-regions: the cooler south between Yallingup and Karridale with predominantly lateritic gravelly loamy sands and sandy loams; the warm and sunnier Willyabrup in the centre with predominantly gravelly loams, but some gritty sandy loams and granitic gravels; and Margaret River in the north with similar soils, but slightly cooler temperatures. This is entirely consistent with style; the wines from Willyabrup being more generous than the highly structured wines of the north and the elegant styles of the south. Margaret River is best known for high quality Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends and top notch Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. Over the years, the region has established an astonishing reputation illustrating a consistency in quality and a strongly focused winemaking culture.
