2016 Yalumba, The Caley, Coonawarra Cabernet & Barossa Shiraz, Australia

71% Coonawarra Cabernet, 29% Barossa old-vine Shiraz. Aged for 21 months in new (25%) and seasoned Yalumba-coopered French oak of various sizes. (Quite a thing to boast of!) Bottled 2 May 2018. Mid crimson with a pale rim. The two elements are really beautifully integrated now. Lovely appetising South Australian red with no very obvious tannin and a good mix of sweetness and saltiness on the palate. Really very lovely already, Seems much more approachable than the 2015 at the same age. Briary but fruity too with real leathery lift and an interesting note of sage I don't remember picking up on a wine before. That massive Australian fruit really has been tamed in this vintage! I must confess that I was not always convinced by earlier vintages of this wine, launched in 2017, but I am really convinced by this blend. Long and reverberant. But then it should be good at this price! Evolved and broachable but still with lots to give. I'm guessing at its lifespan since it's too early to say.Drink 2021 - 2029jancis_robinson_mw, JancisRobinson.com (Jul 2021)

Yalumba's 2016 The Caley Cabernet & Shiraz is a blend of 71% Cabernet (from Coonawarra) and 29% Shiraz (from Barossa—Lightpass and Eden Valley) aged 21 months in French oak barriques and hogsheads (25% new). Marked by hints of menthol and sage, it also offers up deep cassis and blackberry fruit, plus notes of cedar and vanilla. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied and amply concentrated but tightly wound, with plush tannins wrapped around a ripe core of fruit—this needs time to relax and unfurl. Hints of licorice appear on the finish, speaking of ripe Syrah and joining persistent notes of dark fruit. Clearly this has a lot going for it, so give it several years in the cellar before trying a bottle.Drink 2024 - 2040Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (Aug 2021)

An elegant, markedly fresh fifth release, with restrained twig, tobacco, bay leaf and mint nuances. Gliding along a fine-grained rail of tannins, well-focused blackcurrant leads the charge. Silky black cherry and sweet, succulent plum add dimension and juicy impetus through the mid palate. Black olive, chocolate, clove, anise, ironstone and liquorice lend savoury nuances. Harmonious, tapering and persistent, the grippy finish reminds you it will age beautifully too.Drink 2021 - 2041Sarah Ahmed, Decanter.com (Jul 2021)

This has a very impressive sense of composure, offering a very attractive, cedary and floral nose with deep violets and a wealth of forest wood, bracken and blueberries, as well as plums. The palate has intensely ripe, assertive fruit flavors with a succulent, dense and rich delivery of black-cherry, cassis and blackberry flavors. Density with focus and a strong drive at the finish. Long and juicy with real freshness. A blend of 71% Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon and 29% Barossa shiraz. Drink or hold.james_suckling, jamessuckling_com (Dec 2020)