Like a phoenix from the ashes, this cabernet rises from the glass with a complex bouquet of plum, blackberry and anise with a dusting of dark chocolate. It's a delicious contemporary wine, intense and long on the palate with savoury tannins coating the mouth. It's best drunk with food, with friends and with a roaring fire in the background.
93pts Wine Spectator
An elegant version, with firm earthy notes to the star anise, green cardamom and cigar box spiciness, backed by a touch of Dutch cocoa powder. Reveals spiced plum, cassis and kirsch flavors that are plump and velvety, with a long finish. Drink now
92pts James Suckling
This is a bright, youthful cabernet with aromas of plums, redcurrants, tobacco and earth. Picked early for freshness. Medium-bodied with little oak impact, a red-plum core and a juicy, drinkable feel. Drink now.
90pts Wine Enthusiast
This is a rich, somewhat oak-forward vintage of Phoenix. The plush blackberry, mint and peppery spice is overlain by the vanilla-chocolate barrel influence. Tannins are powerful but fine and spice laden, adding gravitas to an otherwise easy-drinking, tangy Cab with regional and varietal expression. Old Bridge Cellars.
