Mount Mary - Quintet - 2012

The 2012 Quintet is balanced and bloody on the nose; it's not as overtly savory perhaps as the 2014 tasted next to it, but certainly, there are gamey inflections entrenched in the red fruit. It has hints of clove and cardamom pod, roast beef crust and hints of asphalt/roadbase, moving in the more mineral/ozone/petrichor space. There are also notes of lead pencil and graphite. This is an intriguing wine. It finishes clean and mineral and cool. It's as tight as it is persistent. I find this to be quite a zen/placid wine, like the surface of a still body of water—unbroken and seamless. I like it a lot. It may be more polarizing than some others in this lineup, but for me, this is the picture of elegance. A foot in the old-school Mount Mary camp, I feel like my grandpa would really take his hat off to that, in the context of the 1970s and 1980s. 12.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. 97+ Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate Bright crimson; the bouquet swarms with aromas of red and black fruits and quality oak; the medium-bodied palate is supremely elegant, yet boasts all the intensity one could wish for, with vibrant cassis and redcurrant fruit on a non-stop trip in a very fast train; of course there are tannins and French oak, but these characters are largely passive observers. 97 Points James Halliday, The Wine Companion Classic Yarra Valley blend of cabernet sauvignon (42%), cabernet franc (17%), merlot (33%), malbec (4%) and petit verdot. It spends 22 months in French oak, with “25% of the blend in large format oak (1500L or larger), and 30% in new barriques (225L)”. Essence of blackcurrant. Bay leaves, licorice, tobacco and musky oak. One of those wines that seems to cascade through the mouth. Tremendous purity, freshness, elegance. Great release. Not much need be said. Pure velvet. Pure length. 96 Points Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front