Yalumba's 'The Signature' 2004

My recent experiences with Yalumba have been pretty good. They're bigger than a boutique winery, but they're still family owned. The Oxford Landing branded wines punch above their weight; the Y Series wines are excellent value for money - especially the wonderful Viognier; and the higher end wines generally perform very well, too, although in my limited experience with the trophy Shiraz (Octavius) I've found it a bit too oak-dominated. What about this - 'The Signature'? Well, I was expecting it to be big and oaky, but it is actually surprisingly well balanced.

Yalumba 'The Signature' Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2004 Barossa, Australia
Barossa Cabernet is not all that highly regarded, but it can perform well, especially when blended with some Shiraz. This has a fresh, focused nose showing sweet, rich blackberry and plum fruit with a hint of mintiness (that's the Barossa Cabernet) and some tarry oak notes, although these are quite subtle and well integrated with the fruit. The palate is sweetly fruited and quite intense with the spicy American oak adding a layer of complexity. It's a big, ripe, typically Australian wine, but it all pulls together and I reckon this will develop nicely over the next five years, and will survive even longer. A classic Barossa style, I reckon you'd spot this as Aussie in five seconds in a blind tasting, but this is no bad thing. 91/100 (around £23 in the UK)