2018 Passel Estate Lot 71 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon
Margaret River, Western Australia
Made from a single block of old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon and matured in fine French oak for 18 months.
From $92.00 per bottle
Description
Tasting Notes: Dark red in colour with black flecks. A bouquet of black currants, cassis and cedar, with hints of graphite and mulberries. A generous and opulent palate. Soft textures line the edges, introducing flavours of black and red cherries to a core of blue fruits and tense phenolics. Sheets of slate fall into place as the wine moves through the palate, finishing coating and plush, drenched in mulberries and hints of bay leaf. This wine will continue to mature beautifully and can be cellard for 10+ years.
Winemaking notes: Fruit from a single block on the estate was harvested and berries crushed (just split) and sent to a fermentor. A regime of cool fermentation on skins for 14 days with multiple, yet gentle daily pump overs was employed in order to extract every morsel of luxury tannin and flavour from each berry. When peak concentration was achieved the wine was separated from the skins directly to a special selection of the finest French Oak barriques, 58% of which were new. The wine was matured in oak for 18 months, then a further 5 years in bottle before release.
96 Points
Ray Jordan, WA Wine Review
"This was one of the great Margaret River vintages, and it's great to see a wine that's now got 7+ years of age being released. It meets every expectation I had. It's rich, dark, and powerful, and yet it is supremely elegant. In fact, I suggest the extra time in bottle has really fine-tuned it, and it is now drinking, or approaching drinking, at its very best. Lovely blackcurrant, oyster shell, and slightly savoury characters emerge on the nose, then into the palate, which delivers with a little dark chocolate and slightly edgy olive tapenade. It's a cracking wine."
95 Points
Huon Hooke, The Real Review
"Deep colour still with some purple as well as brick tints; there are humus and seaweed, tobacco and dried herb aromas, tertiary notes starting to creep in, while the palate is full bodied and savoury with wood oil and briary, nori touches, the tannins fine, powdery and drying on the finish. Smart cabernet, ageing well."
SILVER MEDAL
Decanter World Wine Awards 2025
SILVER MEDAL
International Wine Challenge 2024
SILVER MEDAL
International Wine & Spirits Competition 2024
94 Points
Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal
"For me, this is the pick of the collection of latest releases from this Margaret River winery. Hailing from the brilliant 2018 vintage no doubt helps. It is always exciting to see wines which have already enjoyed considerable time in the cellar before release. Maturation is for a year and a half in French oak barriques, with slightly more than half of them new. Near black/maroon in colour, this is poised, taut, intense and impressively balanced. The nose gives notes of chocolate, blackberries, cloves, graphite, mocha and cold tea. The oak integration is immaculate and there is good complexity already evident. The palate sees the emergence of black cherry notes. A midweight style with silky tannins, it offers attractive length and maintains its intensity throughout. Enjoy this really exciting Cabernet over the next ten to fifteen years. Giving the wine a few hours in a decanter will only add to its allure."
5 Stars
Fergal Gleeson, Great Wine Blog
"2018 was considered one of the best vintages in a decade for Cabernet in Margaret River. Passel Estate have done wine lovers a favour by holding back their 2018 Reserve until now. This is rare! Check out how many top shelf '23 and '24 Cabernets are already on release. Block 71 2018 Cabernet is intense and complex on the nose. Beef stock, smoked meat and cedar and woven through the dark fruit flavours. The bottle age adds an extra dimension of well intregrated, high quality tannins. It's fresh and balanced but also a full bodied display of Cabernet power. Block 71 comes from 30 year + vines that sit on gravel loam soils - ideal for Cabernet in a site just south of Wilyabrup. Perhaps one of Passel's best ever releases. Thrilling wine!"
Wine Details
RegionMargaret River, Western Australia
Vintage2018
TypeRed Wine
VarietyCabernet Sauvignon
Volume750ml
Description
Tasting Notes: Dark red in colour with black flecks. A bouquet of black currants, cassis and cedar, with hints of graphite and mulberries. A generous and opulent palate. Soft textures line the edges, introducing flavours of black and red cherries to a core of blue fruits and tense phenolics. Sheets of slate fall into place as the wine moves through the palate, finishing coating and plush, drenched in mulberries and hints of bay leaf. This wine will continue to mature beautifully and can be cellard for 10+ years.
Winemaking notes: Fruit from a single block on the estate was harvested and berries crushed (just split) and sent to a fermentor. A regime of cool fermentation on skins for 14 days with multiple, yet gentle daily pump overs was employed in order to extract every morsel of luxury tannin and flavour from each berry. When peak concentration was achieved the wine was separated from the skins directly to a special selection of the finest French Oak barriques, 58% of which were new. The wine was matured in oak for 18 months, then a further 5 years in bottle before release.
96 Points
Ray Jordan, WA Wine Review
"This was one of the great Margaret River vintages, and it's great to see a wine that's now got 7+ years of age being released. It meets every expectation I had. It's rich, dark, and powerful, and yet it is supremely elegant. In fact, I suggest the extra time in bottle has really fine-tuned it, and it is now drinking, or approaching drinking, at its very best. Lovely blackcurrant, oyster shell, and slightly savoury characters emerge on the nose, then into the palate, which delivers with a little dark chocolate and slightly edgy olive tapenade. It's a cracking wine."
95 Points
Huon Hooke, The Real Review
"Deep colour still with some purple as well as brick tints; there are humus and seaweed, tobacco and dried herb aromas, tertiary notes starting to creep in, while the palate is full bodied and savoury with wood oil and briary, nori touches, the tannins fine, powdery and drying on the finish. Smart cabernet, ageing well."
SILVER MEDAL
Decanter World Wine Awards 2025
SILVER MEDAL
International Wine Challenge 2024
SILVER MEDAL
International Wine & Spirits Competition 2024
94 Points
Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal
"For me, this is the pick of the collection of latest releases from this Margaret River winery. Hailing from the brilliant 2018 vintage no doubt helps. It is always exciting to see wines which have already enjoyed considerable time in the cellar before release. Maturation is for a year and a half in French oak barriques, with slightly more than half of them new. Near black/maroon in colour, this is poised, taut, intense and impressively balanced. The nose gives notes of chocolate, blackberries, cloves, graphite, mocha and cold tea. The oak integration is immaculate and there is good complexity already evident. The palate sees the emergence of black cherry notes. A midweight style with silky tannins, it offers attractive length and maintains its intensity throughout. Enjoy this really exciting Cabernet over the next ten to fifteen years. Giving the wine a few hours in a decanter will only add to its allure."
5 Stars
Fergal Gleeson, Great Wine Blog
"2018 was considered one of the best vintages in a decade for Cabernet in Margaret River. Passel Estate have done wine lovers a favour by holding back their 2018 Reserve until now. This is rare! Check out how many top shelf '23 and '24 Cabernets are already on release. Block 71 2018 Cabernet is intense and complex on the nose. Beef stock, smoked meat and cedar and woven through the dark fruit flavours. The bottle age adds an extra dimension of well intregrated, high quality tannins. It's fresh and balanced but also a full bodied display of Cabernet power. Block 71 comes from 30 year + vines that sit on gravel loam soils - ideal for Cabernet in a site just south of Wilyabrup. Perhaps one of Passel's best ever releases. Thrilling wine!"
Wine Details
RegionMargaret River, Western Australia
Vintage2018
TypeRed Wine
VarietyCabernet Sauvignon
Volume750ml
Subscribe to E-Newsletter
Be kept up to date with news, reviews, events and new releases.
