-
96
/ 100
Angus Hughson -
96
/ 100
Sam Kim -
94
/ 100
Ned Goodwin MW, James Halliday's Wine Companion -
94
/ 100
Wine Advocate
Red
Classification
Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety
2019
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
Australia
Country
South Australia, McLaren Vale
Region
15.5%
Alcohol %
10-15 Years
Cellaring
Awards
50 Percent OffScores
96 / 100"You’d think they were crazy making an Amarone style from cabernet sauvignon. Amarone is one of Italy’s greatest wines made from dried grapes which concentrate the flavours and tannins to create long lived wines. This is a gorgeous wine, and my pick of the current new releases, which packs a serious punch. The colour is deep suggesting a big dense style but the wine is surprisingly light on its feet. Sweet, pure and vibrant blackcurrant fruits are tempered by dried herbs with some sweeter blackberry underneath. Oak is there too but sits in the background. This then leads to a bold and explosive palate full of power and energy – fruit pastille flavours are supported by fine acidity that is all underpinned by significant but well handled tannins. It is soooooo long too with the fruit concentration holding that flavour for minutes. A delicious wine stacked full of personality that is hard to put down."
- Angus Hughson
96 / 100
"The wine shows stunning fruit purity as well as seductive complexity with cassis, sweet plum, tobacco and spicy oak characters. It’s impressively concentrated and persistent, displaying awesome power brilliantly structured by loads of fine tannins. Multi-layered and graceful. At its best: 2024 to 2039."
- Sam Kim
94 / 100
"Air dried fruit (appassimento) alters the tannin structure toward a burlier whole, while changing the nature of the aromas from primary fruits, to more savoury elements. This serves a warm zone like the Vale well. The oak, malty. The density, extract and sheer presence of the wine, forceful. Saturated dark fruits, liquorice, tightly furled coffee grain tannins and mineral. This needs time. Jangly at the moment."
- Ned Goodwin MW, James Halliday's Wine Companion
94 / 100
"The 2019 Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon is made from partially dried grapes. After being air-dried for approximately nine weeks and losing approximately 30% of their weight, the grapes are pressed. The resulting wine is a potent, cassis and herb-laced offering with hints of dark chocolate and caramel yet never heavy or overdone. Full bodied, rich and possessing a layered texture and a lingering finish, it’s a terrific example of Serpico, with at least a decade of cellaring potential. Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski)"
- Wine Advocate
Tasting Notes
Following the traditional Appassimento technique, the fruit was handpicked at 13.4˚ Baume and placed onto 10kg drying crates. The grapes were then transferred to our temperature and humidity controlled storage shed to dry for 25 days. This resulted in a 30% loss in bunch weight, concentrating aromas and flavours and softening tannins. Once sufficiently dried and concentrated, the fruit was destemmed and crushed into an open top fermenter and pumped over twice daily throughout ferment. After pressing, the wine was transferred to 60% new and 40% one year old French oak hogshead barrels, where it underwent natural malolactic fermentation and 24 months maturation. We then carefully assessed each barrel for inclusion in the final blend. The 2019 Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon was made without finings and received only light filtration prior to bottling.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity