2023 Mount Mary Vineyard, Quintet, Yarra Valley, Australia

Black-fruited and perfumed, with aromas of blackcurrants, violets, licorice, cassia bark, graphite, blueberry compote, pomegranates, tobacco, mahogany, lead pencil shavings and balsamic strawberries. The palate is mid-weighted, with finely integrated tannins and balanced acidity leading into a textural, rounded and seamless mouthfeel. There’s an excellent balance of fruit, florals, earth and herbs, anchored by a mineral core. This Bordeaux blend with New World freshness is built for the ages, yet offers plenty of early drinking appeal. What a wine. Drink or hold.

The 2023 Quintet is, like every other Quintet I've tasted in my life, pure joy. The wine is famous for its fine frame and floral aromatics, its ability to age what feels interminably and its unfettered expression of this corner of the Yarra Valley—Coldstream. While the cooler season of 2023 has shaped some of the elements of the wine, it remains true to its site and leaves a gentle cedar note trail through the memory. It has more pomegranate and cherry than cassis or blackberry, along with notes of violets, bay leaf and star anise even. It is a beautiful wine, one of my favorite Cabernets in this country. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under Diam cork.