Blue Poles Allouran

When I did my review on four leading 2007 Margaret River Cabernets, one of my readers suggested I could have included the Blue Poles Allouran. I must admit, I had never heard of this wine, so I was intrigued. I could only manage to buy the 2011 Blue Poles Allouran, but here is my review of this interesting wine.

In contrast to most Margaret River Cabernets, which are either straight Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blends, this wine is 76% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc. This composition resembles the right bank of Bordeaux, for example Pomerol, whereas the other wines are 'left bank' wines. This is a clever differentiation.

The different composition is responsible for the different colour. This wine is ruby in colour, the others were darker. The nose of this wine is very appealing, with wild berry notes rising from the glass. On the palate, the wine is a little lean. The influence of the Cabernet Franc is strong, with raspberry and savoury tobacco flavours dominating. The wine is well made, with more of an emphasis on structure than fruit flavours. There is fresh acidity on the mid palate, and dry tannins on the finish. While the mouthfeel does not quite match the wines of my 2007 tasting, it should be noted that the price is one half to one third of those wines. This wine offers good value for money and the label will be one to watch.

Score: 92/++