Shaw Premium Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Canberra)
14%, Screwcap, $25
Source: Sample
www.shawvineyards.com.au

A hard place to grow Cabernet is Canberra, with its very hot and very dry, highly continental summer and then cool autumn leading to ripeness challenges for the later varieties (like Cabernet). Helm do a good job of it, so its clearly doable (just a challenge).

This wine certainly looks to have struggled with getting things right – it is both minty and dry, stewed and underripe, suggesting fruit that was under and over ripe. Hard going, though it clearly tries hard.

Drink: 2012-2017
Score: 15/20 85/100
Would I buy it? No