Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Wine Business Monthly (WBM) Top 100 Wines of 2008 

The Balnaves vineyard comprises twelve blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon vines of varying acreage and vine age, the oldest planted in 1975. These blocks are divided again into smaller parcels of between one and two hectares, following soil types and topography, with approximately forty Cabernet Sauvignon fermentations being conducted each vintage. The best of these ferments are set aside during vintage for the Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon and in outstanding years, the Balnaves The Tally Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  

"Ripping good wine here. Delicious medium weight blackcurrant, black cherry and mulberry flavours with minty edges. Great wine. Balnaves are rocking."  Grant Dodd

The 2005 Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from three blocks; the Walker, Dead Morris and Avery Vineyards. The wine spent 20 months in tight-grained French oak from Saury and St Martin cooperages.

"Vintage 2005 was hot and dry with small yields, producing rich opulent wines with firm structure. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep red in colour with a red/purple tinge. It has a rich ripe nose opulent fruit plums, spice, fleshy ripe fruit, with more complex liquorice and slight coconut note. The palate is solid with firm dark fruit spice and solid tannin structure. This is very solid wine. We think this will age very well. Hold."  Balnaves

Expert reviews

"You'll have to do a double take on the price when you taste this stunner. It sailed through a riper vintage with low yields and has built impressive flavour. Super polished aromas, still underpinned by a few sprigs of regional mint even in this ripe year, the fruit sits in the rich berry spectrum - classic blackcurrant, some sweet spices and plenty of cedary oak. A classically framed wine in the mouth, savoury assertive tannins wrap around rich Cabernet fruit in regal formation. Another masterpiece!"  Nick Stock, Wine Business Monthly (WBM) – 96 points and Top 100 Wines of 2008

"Ripping good wine here. Violets,blackcurrant, chocolate, mint and dusty oak on the nose. Delicious medium weight blackcurrant, black cherry and mulberry flavours with minty edges. Tannins like holes in a well used dartboard- tiny,everywhere but hard to detect, and powderry light on the palate. Great wine, this can only get better in a cool cellar. Balnaves are rocking."  Grant Dodd, The Wining Pro – 94+ points

"Generously proportioned and flavoured Cabernet Sauvignon; the blackcurrant fruit has latent earthy/savoury notes which will emerge with age, thus emphasising terroir. Drink to 2020."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 94 points

Awards

Wine Business Monthly (WBM) Top 100 Wines of 2008 

About the winery

Balnaves of Coonawarra is a small family-owned winery, in the heart of the Coonawarra Wine Region. Doug Balnaves established the vineyard in 1975 and 2.5 ha of Cabernet Sauvignon and 2.5 ha of Shiraz were planted on the rich terra rossa soils. Since those first plantings the Balnaves vineyards have grown steadily and today Balnaves have over 70ha of high-quality estate vineyards. 

In 1990 siblings Kirsty and Pete Balnaves joined the family company and the first Balnaves wines were produced on a contract basis at a neighbouring winery. These days, Doug is General Manager, while Kirsty is the Business Manager and Peter runs the vineyard. In 1995 the family was joined by winemaker Pete Bissell and in 1996 their state-of-the-art 1000 tonne winery, designed and supervised by Pete, was completed.  

In 1998 the first vintage of their flagship wine, the Balnaves The Tally Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was produced. The 2004 Tally won Jeremy Oliver's Wine of the Year in 2007. In 2008 the winery was named James Halliday's Winery of the Year and they have been awarded five stars by Halliday for 17 consecutive years. 

Balnaves' success has in no small part been due to Pete Bissell, who celebrated 25 years as senior winemaker in 2020. Pete received numerous accolades over that time, including winning the Qantas/Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year in 2005. Pete retired in July 2020 and assistant Winemaker Jacinta Jenkins took over as Senior Winemaker.