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Summer
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| Winery Profile: Chateau Xanadu (part 2) | |||
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The introduction of the popular semillon/sauvignon blanc blend Secession was an attempt to break away from the style of the regional classic dry whites. It worked. Unlike many blends of these varieties, Secession generally improves with short term bottle age. A crisp and flavoursome wine with soft acidity, it features the tell-tale grassy and herbal characters of a good Margaret River white, although can also conjure up Bordeaux when left to age a few years. Meanwhile, the early 90s saw dramatic improvement in the red wines under Muggli's careful management. The Cabernet Sauvignon is consistently among the top five coming out of the region. The Reserve can be outstanding. It is in the typical Margaret River style, yet edged with astringency and needing time. Here is deeply coloured cabernet with a big, rustic, smoky, slightly gamey bouquet draped in dark berry fruits. The palate is just as earthy as the bouquet suggests it will be, with the same characteristics surrounding |
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a core of dense fruit. Of all the great Margaret River cabernets, this one is probably the longest lived with its bold tannins, and should be drinking well a few decades down the curve of time. This has been a year of Awards for Xanadu, particularly where the 1995 Cabernet Reserve and 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon are concerned. The Xanadu 1995 Cabernet Reserve picked up a Gold Medal at the prestigious Intervin competition in New York and a Silver Medal at the International Wine Challenge in London. There was also Silver and Bronze Medals for the 1996 and 1995 respectively at the London International Wine and Spirit Competition. They also picked up a Silver against stiff competition for its 1997 Chardonnay at the Chardonnay of the World competition in France. This is world-class stuff.
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Other
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