D'ARENBERG The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Robert Parker Score: 88 points

Reviewer: Erin Larkin — April 2023 Week 16 Apr 2023

Drink 2023–2033

The 2018 The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon is from McLaren Vale, and it shows the maritime regionality in the glass, via the varietal inflections of cassis, licorice and dried bay leaf. In the mouth, the fruit is minty, plummy and dark. The tannins really clench the fruit through the middle palate onward—I was about to write that they are "fine and supple," in line with my initial impression, however once a little oxygen is introduced into the mouth, the tannins close up and really constrict the flow of fruit flavor. This is a very firm Cabernet Sauvignon that one suspects could do with a decant, although after 30 minutes in this glass, very little structural relaxation is occurring.