This is the great Australia red blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Malbec. The wine displays plum, blackcurrant, chocolate and boysenberry spice, and a juicy palate with persistent flavour and smooth velvety tannins. Bleasdale is not only one of the oldest wineries in the Langhorne Creek region, but one of the oldest in Australia. Frank Potts, who founded Bleasdale in 1850, has a fascinating history. Born with sea legs, he joined the British Royal Navy at 9 years old and served on Lord Nelsons famous ship HMS Victory. He sailed around the world before landing in South Australia in 1836. He planted the first vines in 1858 and sold fruit to Thomas Hardy. He then expanded the vineyards in the 1860s. He was an innovator and a pioneer who played his role in establishing Australias wine industry. The Potts family still own Bleasdale and descendants Michael and Ben Potts handle the winemaking duties, along with Paul Hotker. They make wines from fruit grown on their 61 hectares of vineyards from varietals like Verdelho, Shiraz and Malbec in sparkling, table and fortified styles. Each parcel of fruit is carefully selected to produce a range of wines that can be enjoyed immediately, or cellared for that special occasion.

Medium purple hue. Ripe blackberry & black cherry with hints of fresh tobacco. Upfront, it is all juicy and dark fruited - ripe plum, tangy blueberry with a touch of ribena sweetness - but to follow, a hint of smoky cured meatiness and fine chalky tannin serve to make the finish savoury yet muy refrescante. Fermented in open stainless steel vats on skins for 14 days. Gentle pressing off skins via airbag press. The brainchild of Guy Anderson and Thierry Boudinaud, Fat Bastard Wines came into being via an exclamation, "Now that is what you call a Fat Bastard!" The comment came in response to a barrel of experimental Chardonnay that Thierry had left on lees for an extended maturation. Both Guy and Thierry felt that the wines had to be shared with the world, and so Fat Bastard Wines was born. Now, the pair work with wineries and vineyards from all over the world, sourcing fruit and juice from a myriad different regions and countries. But one factor remains the same: they make unapologetically full-bodied wines, packed with flavour and vibrancy.

Cheval des Andes is the fruit of an encounter between two exceptional estates, and a perfect reflection of the Franco-Argentine style. This unique alliance combines the savoir-faire of the Saint-Emilion Château Cheval Blanc Premier Grand Cru Classé A, and the altitude terroir of Terrazas de los Andes.

https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/orchestracms/eosportal/pdf/tasting-notes/jim-barry-clarevale-cabernet-malbec-2018.pdf