2012 John George Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

Well the Superbowl was a bust, despite my drinking lots of Washington wine leading up the the game, the Seahawks couldn't pull of a victory.  So not we're back to drinking whatever wine peaks my interest, regardless of where it comes from.  Tonight we're taking a trip to the land down under, a place with many great wines (which I haven't really had in quite some time), Australia!  I'm opening a bottle of 2012 John George Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine is a deep, brooding garnet color, with a center that looks almost black.  The nose is quite subdued, with soft notes of leather, charred oak and cherry cola, certainly a departure from the typical big bold Cabernets that are so popular today.  The taste is very nice, with some black cherry and mocha notes up front, leading into some fine minerality and notes of limestone and basalt midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, the tannins are still very young, yet it's still quite long, smooth and exceptionally dry.  This wine will likely improve with some time in the cellar, but it's quite pleasant right now as well.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a super Cabernet at a great value, as I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $20!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a basic mid-week meal of a rare grilled ribeye, baked potato and steamed cauliflower, as this Cabernet is a perfect big steak wine, with nice fruit, great minerality and a strong backbone!  Cheers mate!