Pirramimma ACJ Cabernet Blend 2017
- Rich, full-bodied
- McLaren Vale
Pirramimma doesn’t produce this wine every year, opting only to do so in exceptional vintages. It’s named to honour Alexander Campbell Johnston, the founder of Pirramimma who planted his first vines nearly 125 years ago. The wine is comprised of 48% cab sav with smaller portions of shiraz, petit verdot, tannat, merlot and malbec. There’s some serious attention to detail in the blending before two years of ageing in a mix of new and old French oak. It’s a big, yet structured wine expressing a nose of blackberry, violets, cherry and olives. The palate continues the cherry characteristic, complemented by boysenberry, musk and licorice. The tannin is ripe, providing a sustained finish and graceful ageing for 15 years. ACJ is a man worth honouring and this is a wine up to that task.
Profile
Reviews
Sam Kim
“This is gloriously styled, showing opulent dark fruit intensity on the nose with vanilla, cedar, thyme and warm spice nuances. The palate exhibits outstanding concentration and density, combined with layers of silky texture and wonderfully pitched tannins, making it sumptuous and lavish with an impressively long velvety finish. A blend of 48% cabernet sauvignon, 21% shiraz, 11% petit verdot, 8% tannat, 6% merlot & 6% malbec. At its best: 2022 to 2040”
It’s cool, we get it, you want to know absolutely everything about this wine. Well here you go, go nuts.
Specs
- Region
- McLaren Vale
- Vintage
- 2017
- Cellaring
- 2031
- Preservatives
- Sulphides
- Alcohol by Vol.
- 14.6%
- Closure
- Cork
- Bottle Vol
- 750mL
- Blend Info
- ―
- Serving Temp.
- 14.0°C
Region
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is a region that lives in the shadow of the hype of the Barossa. While it has played on Shiraz as its drawcard, and continues to battle (quite rightly) with the supreme power of the Barossa, perhaps the most exciting wines from this region are its old vine Grenache and Mataro (Mourvedre/Monastrell - whatever you want to call it), and its more recent foray into Spanish and Italian varietals. Both the sun's warmth and the reliable salty afternoon gully breeze make the climate closer to Mediterranean than many other Aussie regions, and some of the Fiano, Vermentino, Tempranillo and Sangiovese from here are sublime (to name only a few). Awareness, proper consideration and sense of place are key attributes to the region's success, and its recent win against urbanisation reinforces the value of the viticultural region.