Saltram 2003 Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon Sept 05

 

I have now tried this wine a number of times with inconsistent results, but thankfully this latest bottle was by far the best. Upon opening the bouquet it was tight and unyielding; even after hours in the glass it was tight as a fist, refusing to yield anything but faint hints of its promises; thankfully those promises did not include anything of a negative nature that had been experienced in previous encounters. A muscular-weight wine driven by abundant, drying, tightly-gained tannins; there is sufficient fruit there for the long haul. Plum, spicy oak, chocolate and blackcurrant flavours put it more into the "nice dry red" category than a a varietal cabernet. There is a slight "burnt chocolate" character to this wine that is attractive, much more so than the burnt rubber character found in the previous bottle. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, I would be happy to drink this one anytime. It should peak around 2010 and then hold for some years.