Wantirna Estate Amelia Cabernet Merlot 2023 - In Bond

Stuart McCloskey, tasted 20 October 2026 “There is something wonderfully cooling and composed about Amelia. A wine that seems entirely at ease with itself, requiring neither power nor extravagance to make its point. The aromatics are captivating, with beautifully ripe cassis, blackcurrant leaf, dark cherries, violets and the unmistakable freshness of newly sharpened pencils. That lovely suggestion of fresh pencil shavings, graphite and fine cedar brings a distinctly classical quality to the wine, while a gentle savoury undertow adds another dimension. Everything feels beautifully measured, nothing forced, nothing exaggerated. Anise and nori with more airtime… 

The palate is sublime. Soothing, soulful and exquisitely judged, with a sense of harmony I adore. Flavours, tannins and acidity flow together in ribbons of silk, each moving at its own pace yet somehow arriving at precisely the same destination. There is a wonderful cooling sensation running through the wine, an almost mineral freshness that lifts the dark fruit and gives the entire composition remarkable energy. The tannins are incredibly fine, gently persistent and perfectly integrated. The fruit is pure and beautifully delineated, with cassis, redcurrant, dark cherry, graphite and the faintest suggestion of dried herbs unfolding effortlessly across the palate. The finish is long, graceful and wonderfully refreshing, leaving behind a delicate impression of pencil lead, fine spice and crushed stone.

This is such a wonderful expression of Australian Cabernet, reminding me of the finest examples from Margaret River, where fruit purity, savoury complexity and natural freshness combine to create something genuinely profound. Yet Amelia possesses its own distinctive Yarra Valley character, a little more ethereal perhaps, with a delicacy and quiet confidence that I find utterly compelling. The quality is incredible. There is no rush whatsoever for anyone fortunate enough to own a few bottles. Everything is so beautifully aligned that I suspect this will develop magnificently over the coming fifteen to twenty years, perhaps longer. Equally, it is already an absolute joy to drink. A wine of remarkable poise, purity and emotional depth. Served using Zalto Burgundy stemware (not decanted – left in the glass to aerate for 20-minutes). 98+ points, if anyone were to ask me…”

97+ Points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion “A 45/45/10% cabernet sauvignon/merlot and cabernet franc/petit verdot blend with the majority coming off the original dry-grown 1963 plantings. A fabulous, bright crimson/purple. A touch riper and richer than the '22. There's a sumptuous core of dark fruits, violets, cedar and fresh pencil shavings on the nose. It's just as enticing on the perfectly pitched, medium bodied, elegant and very persistent palate. Everything is in place for a long and productive life!”

Nick Ryan “Cabernet as drawn by MC Escher, exquisitely etched, scrawling volumes into the tiny details. Mulberry and cassis, fennel seed and bay leaf, violets pressed between dusty tissue paper. A diaphanous sheath of fruit deftly draped over a compact and composed framework. Lovely fine acid line and microfine tannins that sit effortlessly in the wine.”

Gary Walsh, The Wine Front “Blackcurrant, raspberry, redcurrant, lots of pencils, a dusty spicy almost peppery top note, roast red capsicum, some menthol, violets too. It’s medium-bodied, very tight with cool glassy acidity, again those pencils and dark tobacco, a fine grainy grip to tannin, with a crunchy cranberry finish of excellent length. It’s a vintage where the Cabernet Franc perfume and brightness seems to ride quite high, and I like that sort of thing very much. And the pencils. I love pencils in my Cabernets. It’s finely-etched and classic in its Yarra Valley restraint. I reckon it’s tops.”