Powerful yet restrained, the combination of dark fruits, savory notes and focused tannin results in a pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. A complex nose full of blackcurrant, plum, licorice and supporting savory French oak. The palate is concentrated and layered driven by a core of succulent fruit and structural balanced tannin. A medium-bodied framework – driven by a savory, earthy tannin profile. A wine with excellent length and persistence. This wine can be enjoyed now, but will also reward those patient enough to cellar.
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95 pts/Editor's Choice - Wine Enthusiast: "This knock-out wine offers a deep well of plum, chocolate, mint, bay leaf, pencil lead and nutmeg. Finely structured, with both elegance and power, the tannins are powdery and finessed. Plummy fruit and herbs ride a wave across the palate to the lengthy finish."
95 pts - Halliday Wine Companion: “Wild yeast-open fermented, one batch kept on skins for extended maceration, matured for 18 months in French oak (40% new). The palate is medium to full-bodied with a wealth of blackcurrant, mulberry and cherry fruit. Oak is well and truly in play, as one might expect. The long, supple back-palate is very good.”
94 pts - Wine Spectator: “Fragrant, powerful and bold, offering a dense mix of star anise, black licorice and dark chocolate flavors, with details of candied ginger, mahogany and sarsaparilla, all mingling around a core of cassis and plum notes. The tannins are firm, but show a touch of velvet. The concentration and complexity gain momentum on the finish.”
93 pts - Robert Parker Wine Advocate: “From what was initially lauded as an outstanding vintage for Coonawarra, Penley Estate's 2018 Helios Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the first of the vintage's top wines I've tasted from bottle. It doesn't disappoint. Deep cassis fruit is accented by hints of cedar and exotic spices, including hints of cardamom and cinnamon. In the mouth, this medium-bodied wine is surprisingly airy and
lithe with supple tannins. Not a conventional blockbuster, it's built on elegance and silk, with bright fruit and acids and a crisp, focused finish. I suppose it will disappoint those looking for something Napa-esque, but it appears to take its cue from recent vintages of Wynn's John Riddoch bottling, offering something more balanced and drinkable—and perhaps a truer reflection of
Coonawarra Cabernet.”
