Vasse Felix 2016 Filius Cabernet Merlot - Margaret River

Here's a pretty good Cabernet Merlot blend from the Margaret River wine region. Vasse felix is one of the founding wineries in the region, with their first vines planted in the region in 1967, and first vintages coming out of the winery in 1971. Another one of our top choices for Margaret River wines, another Vasse Felix bottle found its way into our wine chiller, and last night into our glasses.

When we poured the first glass, straight after opening the bottle, my first sentence after tasting it was "Hmmm, there's some wood in this one." The oak was strong, and overpowered the rest of the fruit and spice flavours which were trying to come through. I put the glass down and left it for a while.

Upon picking up the glass a few minutes later, the whole structure had changes, and the wine had opened up nicely to a well-balanced combination of cherries, blackcurrant, savoury spice, and a smooth, almost chocolaty follow through. Every sip got better and better, and the second glass, about 45 minutes later was really, really good.

Don't rush! This is a wine which needs a bit of breathing room to open up. Don't judge it on first impression out of a newly opened bottle, or you'll miss out on something good. Give it some space, come back after a while, and when you do, you'll appreciate how time can make a lot of difference to a wine which has a heavy, wooded first glance.

An elegant, and well-structured Cabernet Merlot which I enjoyed drinking. A solid 3.5 out of 5 on my scorecard. It take a lot to score a 4, and this one wasn't far off, but just couldn't crack a "WOW" from me. Nevertheless, great value for money, and one which I would happily store for a few years to see how well it ages. I reckon it'll be really good in a few years time.

Cheers!!

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