Fermoy Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Stuart McCloskey, tasted 19th February 2026 "A profound and complete Cabernet that transcends expectation and speaks with absolute clarity of place. The bouquet is immediately arresting - a fleeting suggestion of mature Pinot-like lift gives way to unmistakable Cabernet authority. Layers unfold with calm precision: forest floor, wild mushroom, damp cellar, juniper and bay leaf, all threaded with an enduring saline minerality.  There is something paradoxical here — the aromatics are potent yet calming. A distinct seashore character pervades, an iodine-laced ocean breeze carrying through darker fruits and earthy complexity. It is evocative and contemplative rather than forceful. One of my favourite perfumes. With more air, saddle leather and iodine complexity rise seamlessly from the glass. The aromatics are commanding in depth, composed and addictive.  The palate is nothing short of sublime. Silken - cashmere and velvet in texture, yet structurally perfect. Graphite-fine tannins are perfectly integrated, carrying a core of blue and black fruits that move effortlessly toward tertiary nuance. There is extraordinary harmony between fruit density, savoury detail, and acidity - nothing protrudes, nothing is forced.  The finish lingers for minutes.  Decant for an hour if drinking now. While already magnificent, the balance and tannin architecture indicate a wine destined for its apogee in 8–10 years. I bet this could be something very, very special. Possibly my favourite vintage."

Erin Larkin, Robert Parker.com July 2023 “The 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is forthright, full-bodied and complex, shaped by a savory skein of tannin that thrusts through the mouth. There are notes of tobacco leaf, blackberry bramble, cassis and raspberry. This shows a balance and power that feels naturally inherent in the wine. The season was excellent, unmarred by heat spikes or weather events, the seemingly unending hunger of the silvereyes (birds) sated by the profusion of marri blossom during that summer. You can drink the 2018s now; they are plush and full of pleasure, but they are at the beginning of a very long road and are only just starting to hint at the potential to come. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
I specifically requested a vertical of both the Reserve Chardonnay and Reserve Cabernet, as I have been repeatedly impressed by both of these wines over the past several years. They show up extremely well in masked lineups (tastings, wine shows and the like) and did not let me down in this tasting. The Cabernets seem to be built around a core of pure cassis fruit and have a flow and clarity in the mouth that is most beguiling. The 2018 and 2019 wines are astoundingly good, and I am very excited to see these wines in a decade or more. Winemaker Jeremy "Jez" Hodgson is doing brilliant things here.

98 Points - Ray Jordan “Pure and powerful Margaret River cabernet from right in the Wilyabrup dress circle. Opens with a salvo of fruit nuances on the nose. Blackcurrant and blackberry with some interesting blue fruit touches. Then there is the lifted bay leaf and minerally oyster shell. It is so classically cabernet. The palate is elegantly presented but deeply intense with dark fruits lifted by that bay leaf and slightly graphite edge. Fine grained oak and fine firmish tannins hold the line to focus on a long finish”

Erin Larkin, James Halliday.com “Supple, briny cassis rises up to greet you on first sniff. In a word, pretty. Vibrant. Also joyful. The wine takes a very serious turn on the palate. This is finely structured, shaped by chalky tannins that carry ripe, medium-weight fruit over the tongue and through to the finish. Caresses more than it asserts, making it a subtly spicy, elegant and willowy cabernet, capable of years of grace in the cellar. Brilliant fruit”.