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This wine is a great example of why Margaret River is such a powerhouse in the cabernet department: concentration, savoury tannins, spice, and plenty of fruit. Blend of Cabernet sauvignon/Malbec/Petit Verdot. Delicious from the first to the last sip, with its very long finish.

Note: ABV may vary from batch to batch. Tasting note: [BATCH QBC 16-25 tasted] Bright brassy copper. Dessert style opening sniffs include tea biscuits, vanilla fudge, mocha and hints of sticky date. Air contact dries and lightens the bouquet introducing liquorice root, and fresher, woody/peppery notes. Linear on entry. Mid palate is mildly bittersweet, bolder, oily, resinous, plummy, warming but keenly balanced at high ABV. Finishes with a brisk flurry of sweet baking spices and late cedary oak. 57.15% Alc./Vol.

The Glendalough Distillery was established by a group of friends from Wicklow and Dublin who shared a deep passion for reviving the rich heritage of craft distilling in Ireland. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Ireland was home to over 200 licensed distilleries, producing diverse styles of poitín, whiskey, gin, and even absinthe. However, in recent times, that number has dwindled to a small handful. After many discussions, the friends decided to take a chance on something more meaningful and built a craft distillery near their favourite spot in the Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough. The area, known as "the garden of Ireland," is renowned for its natural beauty and Glendalough, or the Glen of two Lakes, is one of the most visited valleys in Ireland. It is also home to a 6th-century monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin, a legendary monk who is the man on the Glendalough bottle. Monasteries like Glendalough were the birthplace of distilled drinks. A key influence on the flavour of Glendalough whiskey is the wood in which it has spent time. Countless nuances affect how the wood injects flavour, from the straightness of the tree or fineness of the grain to the size of the barrel or depth of the char. To make their gins, Glendalough forages wild plants from the mountains around the distillery. All the plants are sustainably foraged by one person, and what they pick goes fresh into the still within hours of foraging. The story of St. Kevin is where Glendalough draws its inspiration. He abandoned safety and comfort to follow his passion and create something more meaningful in the mountains. St. Kevin was born into Irish royalty, but he felt like a man apart. He disappeared into the mountains and became one with the wild, living off the land by the upper lake of Glendalough for seven years while pondering his place in the world. One of the many stories that spread around Ireland and inspired people to seek out this holy man and his deep, hidden valley is that of a blackbird landing in his hand. He stood day and night until the eggs hatched and the chicks fledged, showcasing his unwavering resolve and connection with nature. Eventually, he built his "City of 7 Churches" by the lower lake, which still stands 14 centuries later as a testament to his legacy. The Glendalough Distillery places great emphasis on the wood used to mature their whiskey, with countless nuances affecting the flavour, from the straightness of the tree or fineness of the grain to the size of the barrel or depth of the char. Their whiskeys mature in American white oak Bourbon barrels, which lay the flavour foundation that has become the backbone of the Irish whiskey taste. They also finish all of their whiskeys in a second, very different cask. They use Spanish Oloroso sherry butts to finish their Double Barrel, Dublin porter barrels for their 7-year-old single malt, and legendary Mizunara oak for their 13-year-old single malt. They are also proud to play a part in bringing Irish oak back into use for aging Irish whiskey, helping to manage these ancient forests, and doing their bit for the regeneration of these beautiful, broad-leaf, deciduous woods. Glendalough Distillery embarked on a relentless search for the most flavourful oak in the world, taking them from their own wooded mountains in Wicklow to the volcanic north of Japan, Hokkaido, where they discovered Mizunara, the most sought-after oak in the whiskey world. The resulting whiskey is vivid yet delicate, with seamless depth and a vibrant, fruity and floral nose. It boasts a luxuriously smooth mouthfeel with notes of dark chocolate orange, sandalwood and cinnamon that are synonymous with Mizunara whiskeys. The Mizunara 7-year single malt from Glendalough benefits from an exceptionally long finish of toasted oak and oriental spices, with the dark chocolate lingering even longer, making for a truly exceptional whiskey.

Under the hustle and bustle of cobbled Dublin streets in the early 1900s, a rare whiskey was quietly making a name for itself. The simple act of marking barrels with spots of coloured paint would not only signify their age potential, but would become the namesake for this coveted whiskey, bonded and bottled by The Mitchells – a seventh generation family business. As a Single Pot Still Whiskey, these Spot Whiskeys are made using a unique combination of both malted and unmalted barley. This leads to that silky mouthfeel and the pot still spices that these whiskeys were so renowned for back in the old days. Rather than being simply a ‘finished’ whiskey, Yellow Spot is special in that it contains whiskey that has been matured for a full 12 year period in three oak cask types: American bourbon barrels, Spanish sherry butts, and uniquely, Spanish Malaga casks. The Malaga cask brings an exotic sweet note to the whiskey making it a truly delightful taste experience. Only extremely limited quantities of Yellow Spot have been bottled making it a whiskey to seek out and savour as a true rarity. While Green Spot is often described as tasting like green apples, Yellow Spot is more in character with juicy red apples. Sophisticated and complex in character, the inclusion of full term matured whiskey from ex Malaga casks contributes exotic characteristics to the whiskey. Aromas on mown hay & cracked black pepper. Red bell peppers, nutmeg, clove oil & green tea. Sweet honey & peaches from the Malaga casks. On the palate is a honey sweetness with pot still spices. Flavours of fresh coffee, creamy milk chocolate & Crème Brûlée. Notes of red apples & toasted oak. Its finish is sophisticated & complex with a sweetness throughout, followed by a mix of red grape & dry barley upon exit.

Vasse Felix, Margaret River's founding wine estate, was established by Dr Thomas Brendan Cullity in 1967. Among his first plantings were Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec vines, from which he produced the estate's first red wine. The Tom Cullity descends from these original vines and represents the pinnacle of Vasse Felix. The inaugural release will be in May 2017, coinciding with Vasse Felix's 50th Anniversary.

Vanya Cullen continues to amaze the world with her brilliantly flavoursome and elegant Cabernet named after Di Cullen, a true pioneer. Vanya is also pioneering in her own style with the introduction to 100% bio-dynamics and the results are to there to be seen by all. The highest possible Langon's Classification is bestowed upon this wine and with it's agability is one for the true wine lover and collector. [Biodynamic]

Kevin Cullen was a passionate believer in the quality of Margaret River as a wine region and particularly of its potential to become one of the great areas for both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Here's his proof! [Biodynamic]

One of the early pioneers of the Margaret River region, Woodlands' vineyards date back to 1973. As curator of these historic vineyards, Stuart & Andrew Watson have firmly re-established Woodlands into the top echolon of Margaret River producers. Sourced from an the outstanding 2008 vintage, the Shelley Anne Cabernet Sauvignon shows cassis, mulberry and blackcurrant with that typical bay leaf and cedar undertones. A wine that will live for well over a decade.