Mount Mary Quintet 2006

If you like St. Julien wine, you might want to try Mount Mary Quintet. The 2006 Mount Mary Quintet, in particular, is an excellent choice. I tasted it a few years ago at the Hong Kong Wine Society, which left a lasting impression on me. This wine is elegant and sophisticated, especially with two upcoming tastings. According to wine expert Jeremy Oliver, this wine has received an impressive 97-point rating. Oliver praised the wine's "terrific balance and focus" and smoky aroma of dark berries and plums, along with subtle notes of mushrooms, minerals, and cedary oak. Robert Parker awarded this 2006 vintage with 94+ points.

Delicate, melted tannins, subtle notes of dried herbs, and hints of briar and undergrowth accompany the wine's dark cherry, plum, and berry flavours were what we wrote on my tasting notes. The acidity is tightly knit, and the finish is exceptionally long. The wine comprises 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and small amounts of Malbec and Petit Verdot, with the 2006 Quintet aged in barrels for 22 months. Thirty per cent of the barrels are large format, and only 30% are new oak.

Winemaker Rob Hall explained that John Middleton preferred the wine to have an alcohol content of around 12.5%, which can be challenging while still getting the phenolics ripe. However, Mount Mary managed to produce a modest 12.9% alcohol content. To J Middleton, the wine's colour is deep garnet, and it has restrained aromas of cassis, dried Mediterranean herbs, graphite, and loam, with a touch of cardamom and cloves. The wine is light to medium-bodied, with high acidity and medium-firm, finely-grained tannins. It is still tight-knit and needs to be aged for 2-3 years before opening. After that, it will continue to evolve over the next 8-10 years and be kept until 2024+.

Overall, Mount Mary Quintet 2006 is an exceptional wine worth trying.