-
100
/ 100
Sam Kim -
98
/ 100
James Halliday -
98
/ 100
Nick Stock -
96
/ 100
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW -
94
/ 100
Mike Bennie
Red
Classification
Cabernet Blend
Variety
2012
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
Australia
Country
South Australia, Multi Regional
Region
14.0%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
100 / 100"Exquisitely composed, perfectly poised and impeccably structured, this is an exceptional wine that wine lovers of Yalumba have been waiting for 168 years. The compelling bouquet shows dark fruit, cocoa, clove, bay leaf, almond and violet aromas with nuances of black olive and truffle. The oak infusion is discreet and seamless. It is concentrated and beautifully weighted on the palate, and exhibits silky texture, fleshy mouthfeel and loads of fine, polished tannins. The wine is pristine, yet spectacularly complex, and flows effortlessly through the palate, gradually expanding to a gloriously long, engaging finish. 2012 The Caley is a blend of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and Barossa Shiraz, matured in new and seasoned French oak barrels for 22 months."
- Sam Kim
98 / 100
"52% Coonawarra Cabernet, 27% Barossa Cabernet and 21% Barossa Shiraz, open-fermented with wild yeast (three days) then cultured yeast. Bright, deep crimson-purple; the bouquet instantly semaphores a glorious profusion of cassis, blackberry and black cherry fruits, flavours which are precisely mirrored by the palate. But it's the way this beautiful wine caresses the mouth that is so special, the tannins polished, the oak judged to perfection."
- James Halliday
98 / 100
"This is a strong cross-regional combination. Immense depth of olives, cassis, blue plums and iodine with blackberries, earthy nuances, fragrant baking spices and chocolate. The palate is beautifully assembled with deep-set tannins that carry long and majestic. Rich, dark-fruit flavours. A landmark first release that will drink well for decades. Drink from 2024."
- Nick Stock
96 / 100
"This is the first vintage of Yalumba’s new Cabernet/Shiraz-based flagship wine. Deep garnet in color, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz The Caley offers expressive baked blackberries, cherry cordial and blackcurrant jelly notes with suggestions of Chinese fivespice, cedar and anise. The palate is built like a brick house, delivering a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness to support and complement the voluptuous, full-bodied flesh. It offers a very long, layered finish with lingering exotic spice and blackberry preserves notes."
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
94 / 100
"The wine’s story eddies around Yalumba’s fifth generation wine man Robert Hill-Smith. The intent, to celebrate the Australian touchstone of a unique blend, a historical legacy, a very expensive iteration of Australian wine -- pitching to where premium wine in dollar value can righteously sit. And fair enough. And good. The wine is sourced from the large tract of Yalumba Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and several ‘old vine’ Shiraz sources of the Barossa Valley. Good DNA, great winemaking nous from understated but excellent talent of Kevin Glastonbury. There’s plenty of boxes ticked, right up to Yalumba’s confidence and track record with the blend... Decidedly elegant, sweet fruited, medium weight, svelte and long red wine. It shows hallmark blue fruits, bayleaf, salty acidity, green herbs of Cabernet Sauvignon, but the sweet, concentrated, ripe, vanilla-choc-dipped berry fruitiness of Barossa Shiraz melts through. It stains the palate with ripe flavours, sweet molten spice, soft, supple tannins. The wine is controlled, lingers, feels finessed, preened and fine. There’s a splash of tang to close, but you know that will ebb away with time, which this wine feels it needs. There’s undoubted elegance here. Enthusiasts should be satisfied."
- Mike Bennie
Tasting Notes
The Caley is Yalumba’s flagship wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz blend, reflecting the long and unwavering commitment of Australia’s oldest family-owned winemaker to this classic Australian blend. The Caley is named for Fred Caley Smith, grandson of Yalumba founder Samuel Smith.
Deep garnet red in colour, fruit is at the core of the bouquet, all red and black currants – overlaid with savoury herbs, green spices, cedar and pipe tobacco. The palate is of sophisticated precision with a refined line. Long and textured it captures the concentrated flavours and presents them with a silken grace. Under all that supple, fleshy muscle, the wine has a strong spine, structured to last and last.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity
- Smooth
- Complex