Mount Horrocks Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reviews

Ciao Magazine

2020 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2020 red releases from Clare Valley winemaker Stephanie Toole at Mount Horrocks are very much in the zone; the pleasure zone, that is. All the wines are single vineyard and 100% organic. The Nero d’Avola is sometimes my favourite, but this time around it was pipped by this gorgeous, richly coloured cabernet with cassis and herbal notes to the fore. An 18-month spell in French oak barriques, 35% of which are new, has helped add structure to a serious dinner party wine with concentration and poise, that can either be enjoyed now, or cellared.

By Winsor Dobbin

Ciao Magazine, April 2022

The Real Review

2019 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon

95 Points

Opaque core into a deep purple rim. A classic cabernet nose of cassis and tobacco leaf. Vibrant and youthful black fruits on entry; they meld into a black olive, tapenade, savoury line whilst a sandy grip of tannins controls and focuses. Great length and drive to the end. A wonderful medium-weighted red with poise and precision. 

by Suart Knox

The Real Review

2021 Halliday Companion

2018 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon

95 Points

A mid to full weighted cabernet with mint, sap, blackcurrant and bouquet garni. Pliant tannins doused with sage, galvanise the flavours. Highly savoury. Very versatile. The oak and unobtrusive acidity are beautifully positioned to let this run for a decade or more.

By Ned Goodwin

1st August 2020

2021 Halliday Wine Companion

Winsor Dobbin, Ciao Magazine

Classy cabernet  – Mount Horrocks 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

By Winsor Dobbin

The Clare Valley – and Mount Horrocks – are home to some of Australia’s finest rieslings, but Stephanie Toole also produces hugely impressive Nero d’Avola and this beguiling young cabernet. This is estate-grown and sourced from a single vineyard, deftly crafted to result in a wine that has coiled power and immediate dark appeal. Forest notes, blackcurrant and well-integrated oak are to the fore in a downright delicious red that can confidently be cellared.Share with a loved one, or a fillet steak.

28th April 2020

The Real Review

2018 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon

By Nick Butler

95 Points

Loads of colour – dense purple. It ticks all of the cabernet aroma boxes, with a tease of regional eucalypt. While ripe and easily carrying rich blackberry and purple-berried fruits, it’s quietly aristocratic, with dried herbs and cedar ahead of supple tannins. Approachable now and will reward time tucked away

Drink 2020-2028

The Real Review

2017 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon

By Huon Hooke

95 Points

Good, clean cabernet aromas, fresh and cassisy, with background vanilla and violet but little sign of vegetal notes. The wine is medium to full-bodied and elegantly-framed, with freshness and energy, harmony and precision. An excellent young cabernet.

The Real Review

May 2019

Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

93 Points

By Tyson Stelzer

Great depth and density of blackcurrent and cassis fruit is overlaid with lifted rose hip and capsicum, making for a consummately varietal Cabernet. It’s slick, glossy and yet confidently structured, with firm fine tannins promising classic Mount Horrocks potential.

WBM Trade Magazine

May/June 2019

Sunday Telegraph

2017 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon

By John Fordham 

A wine showcasing the immense standing this regal variety enjoys in the Clare Valley. Owner-winemaker Stephanie Toole has again excelled with her attention to detail in fruit selection and oak maturation. A five-star effort oozing refined rich and toasty flavours that have you drooling to the final drop.

Sunday Telegraph 19^th May

Halliday Wine Companion

2016 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon

95 Points

By Campbell Mattinson

Two of the most beautiful words in the English language, when used in tandem, are ‘medium-bodied’. Or that’s what a wine like this makes you think. It’s cabernet sauvignon in effortless mode, its curranty, brambly, toasty flavours travelling through the palate in calm, confident style. Something of a masterclass.

James Halliday Wine Companion 2019

Sunday Telegraph

2016 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon

By John Fordham

A seamless combination of low-yielding, organically-grown fruit and partial new French oak maturation, qualifies this medium-bodied Clare Valley red for top drawer rating. Flavour definition, texture and length ensure a rewarding and magical palate journey.

Sunday Telegraph 6^th May

James Halliday Wine Companion 2018

Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

95 Points

The gleaming purple-crimson colour waves the flag for a pure, medium-bodied cabernet that captures the mouth with its delicious cassis fruit, a wisp of bay leaf, ultra-fine, but persistent, tannins and French oak. 

By James Halliday

95 Points, 5 Stars

2015 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon

By James Halliday

95 Points

Clare Valley cabernet is seldom deficient in impact, but it’s usually rustic. Wendouree one exception, and this (albeit in a different mode) is another.  The gleaming crimson-purple colour waves the flag for a pure, medium-bodied cabernet that captures the mouth with its delicious cassis fruit, a wisp of bay leaf, ultra-fine, but persistent, tannins and integrated French oak.

Wine Companion Magazine
August/September 2017