France's Bordeaux, is the spiritual home of the Cabernet family of grapes, which extends beyond Sauvignon and Franc to Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. If you love Margaret River Cabernet blends, or indeed the Merlot dominant reds of Hawkes Bay, NZ, then you must look at the wines upon which many of them have been modelled. This wine is Cabernet and Merlot, deep and rich, cassis and earthy cedar, structure and uncommon length - all hallmarks of Grand Cru Bordeaux.

Houghton Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stripe series of wines has loads of cassis and dark plum flavours that are perfectly balanced with hints of cigar box, soft tannins and a touch of oak. A true WA Cabernet for a fantastic price!

Bright plum in colour, Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon displays delicate notes of mint and blackcurrant, with a more savory bouquet of semi-dried tomatoes and fruit chutney at the end. A hint of oak and spice adds extra warmth. On the palate a flavour-wheel of spearmint, milo powder, chocolate and black liquorice.

Penfolds Bin 407 began life back in 1993 with the release of the 1990 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon. Created as a result of the availability of high quality Cabernet fruit, Bin 407 is inspired by its older brother, Bin 707. Not only offering varietal definition, but also approachability, structure and depth of flavour. The Bin 407 highlights the Penfolds approach to multi-region, multi-vineyard blending to create a Cabernet that rewards the drinker in both early and later years.

Chateau Canon shows no shy and retiring character in 2010, set to a naturally ripe and high 15% alcohol. Though power and density is a motif in 2010, there is a surprising suppleness in this wine, born from central St-Emillion vineyards and the same family of wine as Chateau Rauzan-Segla of Margaux. Almost evenly split between Merlot and Cabernet Franc usually, it''s three quarters Merlot in 2010; the wine matures in oak barrel for 18 months, with around 70% of those offering new wood character. While dense and compact, there is a succulence to the wine that suggests cellaring to two decades would be apt.

The 2010 Chateau d'Issan is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, showing 'classic Margaux' in its perfume, finesse and apparent elegance. Soils are gravel and clay, which contributes to the high-tones of perfume from the wine, and though an estate that is neccesarily clawing its way back to a higher profile, is doing so with deeds in bottle over showmanship. On its side, the vineyard is dense with older vines that naturally offer lower yields, allowing for a higher quality of fruit for the winemaking team, in turn producing a wine of stellar quality from 2010.

Left in a sorry state by the previous owners, in 1962 the Rothschilds of Lafite took over the property and begun to reconstruct the vineyard which was planted mostly to Petit Verdot. 4 decades later and the wines of Château Duhart-Milon are now showing the flavour and concentration you expect from such a site in Pauillac.

Château Brane-Cantenac sits in a prime position on the plateau of Cantenac and makes full use of its excellent terroir. No doubt something that Baron de Brane was aware of and along with his viticultural talents were the reasons behind the estates rise to fame. Now tended by the Lurton family, the wines continue to be in great hands. Of the 2009 vintage, Henri Lurton is known to have said that the winery was enveloped in aromas of raspberry and blackberry even before fermentation began! Even though fruit ripeness is an obvious trait, the balance and structure of the wine are also clearly evident which will see the wine age for a decade or two more.