Woodlands Wilyabrup Valley – Cabernet Merlot 2015 Margaret River    

Aged in French oak for 14 months.

Black dark plum in colour.

Aromas of cigar boxes are the first thing to hit me, closely followed by a good whiff of dusty blackcurrants.

Then it’s cedar wood with hints of warm black Kalamata olives moving into the picture.

A medium-bodied wine, there’s some richness left mid-palate, the fruit now backed up by dusty oak and tobacco. Dryish finish with fine-grained, structured tannins.

Excellent length with a long red and blackcurrant, mulberry, cedar-like tobacco characters and a long dry fruit aftertaste.

At 8 yo I think the wine has reached its peak and may be drinking at its best.

Just looking on the shelves the price has not increased a great deal, I just hope the quality has remained as good.

If you want to impress your guests over the cold months with some char grilled T bone, this would be the wine to do it.

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