For the first time in a long time 100 of Australia's finest wines were to be shown to 50 of the great and the good of wine in Britain. The case for diversity was the key message, and out of the 12 Cabernets chosen from across Australia, the Cabernet Sauvignon from Domaine A/Stoney Vineyard was selected by Langtons because of the high level of quality, finesse and subtlety. Master of Wine, Jancis Robinson said on her tasting of the Domaine A Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 that she enjoyed the subtlety of a wine earnestly and honestly made from a vineyard rather than a confected/blend from a recipe.
The artisanal approach by wine maker Peter Althaus has earned him the status by Langtons and the Australian Wine Bureau as an emerging cult wine. The opinion in London seems to be ahead of the game here in Australia and Tasmania.
In a separate tasting by Matthew Jukes, one of the UK's foremost wine experts, the applause continues. "Tassie's premier estate yields one of the icon Cabernets in Australia - the 1998 Domaine A is nothing short of life-changing wine", said Matthew. While some Tasmanian critics say Tasmania cannot produce a quality Cabernet, this acknowledgement from some of the most prestigious names in the global wine industry may make them think otherwise.