Wine Advisor
D'Arenberg, The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon 1998
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Readers looking for sensationally concentrated, yet well-balanced Cabernet Sauvignon that can be drunk now or cellared for twenty years should check out the 1998 The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon. It boasts a dense purple color as well as an exquisitely pure nose of cassis, oak, earth, cedar, and spice box. Full-bodied and powerful, with a seamless personality (because of the melted tannin), this large-scaled, classic southern Australian Cabernet Sauvignon can rival the world's finest Cabernet Sauvignons. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2025. Importer: Old Bridge Cellars (Rob McDonald), Napa, CA; tel. (707) 258-9552
About the Producer
d’Arenberg is one of the undisputed masters of Australian Shiraz and other Rhone varieties that have historically defined the region. A century on, their vineyards have grown to some 450 acres in McLaren Vale, including Shiraz dating back to d’Arenberg’s first plantings, and nearly one-third of McLaren Vale’s old bush-vine Grenache. Fourth generation winemaker, Chester Osborn, recently converted all of the family’s vineyards to organics and biodynamics and moved to solar energy in the winery. All the while, in terms of winemaking, not much has changed–all the wines are basket-pressed, the reds foot-trodden during fermentation; everything is done in small batches, leading to an impressive array of bottlings every year, each showing a different facet of McLaren Vale terroir. Having been inducted into Wine & Spirits magazine’s Hall of Fame for earning a place on its Top 100 Wineries ten times, this accolade is a reflection of d’Arenberg’s revered reputation worldwide.
