Oh, those crazy Australians, first I find Madfish Bay, now just Mad Bay...who can be mad when there is wine to be tasted (even if you are a fish!)?
This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, its father Cabernet Franc, and Merlot (the flesh on the bones) is a classic Bordeaux combination, but transported far south to Australia. The grapes come from an area of Western Australia, Margaret River, that is often described as having a similar climate as Bordeaux. The color of this resultant wine is a vibrant, dark ruby with just a little orange starting at the rim, indicating the some aging. The aroma is far more Bordeaux-like than I was expecting. Even with the same blend of grapes, "New World" wines tend to be fruitier and fleshier than most austere terroir-driven Bordeaux wines. But this wine has earthy notes of dried grass and a forest in the fall, with just a hint of blackcurrant in the background.
In the mouth, it's not quite as pleasant. It finishes well, with a nice blend of grassy and blackfruit flavors, and a bit of cocoa powder, but these only evolve after your tastebuds are rather assaulted with acid and bitterness. Frankly, I've had this experience with Bordeaux in the past, so perhaps the winemakers were merely striving for regional authenticity? What it lacks that Bordeaux tends to have in abundance is tannin. Only the faintest hint of astringency is there, which may be why the acid is beating me over the head - there's not much there to balance it out.
So, the finish makes it a drinkable wine, but I think these grapes could have used a little more time on the vine and/or a warmer growing season so they could develop more sugars and the phenolic ripeness they crave and dispense with some of that acid. And it needs to be consumed with lots of soft cheese. I give it an 84.
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