2023 Dominique Portet Fontaine Cabernets

93 pts
Juicy and approachable Merlot/Cabernet blend from one of Bordeaux's most famous families. Under $30? Yes please!
4.3
Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars
3 Reviews

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Sale price$26.00
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Description

With a long, illustrious history in the home of Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, the Portets know a thing or two about the grape.

In the Yarra Valley they have found a place to produce a refined style of Cabernet, this is their "drinking not thinking" model. Picked for freshness and to be "silky, juicy and open", this is the more approachable side of this noble variety.

For under $30 a bottle this would have to be one of the best Cabernet buys in the whole country!

93 points
"This is seriously good value, and while it’s kind of approachable, I think it’s a wine that has intent that’s maybe higher than its price point. Blackcurrant, redcurrant, tobacco, mint, sensible pencil and baking spice oak. It’s medium-bodied, supple and savoury, delivering dark small berried fruit with a black olive savoury edge. The tannin has some grip, and the acidity is both juicy and balanced, the finish long and replete with fine-grained tannin. Excellent. Highly recommended."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

93 points - "This is seriously good value, and while it’s kind of approachable, I think it’s a wine that has intent that’s maybe higher than its price point. Blackcurrant, redcurrant, tobacco, mint, sensible pencil and baking spice oak. It’s medium-bodied, supple and savoury, delivering dark small berried fruit with a black olive savoury edge. The tannin has some grip, and the acidity is both juicy and balanced, the finish long and replete with fine-grained tannin. Excellent. Highly recommended." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

4.3
Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars
Based on 3 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 1 Total 4 star reviews: 2 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
3 reviews
  • AH
    Adrian H.
    Verified Buyer
    1 month ago
    Reviewing
    2024 Dominique Portet Fontaine Cabernets
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Is This a Great Cabernet ???

    Bright mulberry / garnet colour (not deep purple). Dusty (old)oak on the nose, with classic Tobacco leaf, eucalyptus, bacon fat, and spices. A complex savoury nose, (not fruit driven), Bordeaux in style. The palate is firstly stalky with grainy tannins, obvious oak, savoury not fruit driven with good length and persistence and an overarching acid profile.

    A good example of a French Bordeaux style Cabernet blend. Made in the savoury, acid dominant (background fruit) that typifies the region. Drinking nicely now, but will benefit from 5 - 10 years in the cellar to fully integrate and soften.

    A good example of the style, but is it a great Cabernet ??? Is it a Trophy winning Cabernet blend ??? Certainly a worthy Gold medal winner and good value for money. For my palate, just lacking in fruit profile from the merlot / malbec, and dominated at this stage by oak, tannin and acid.

  • DC
    David C.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    5 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Reviewing
    2020 Dominique Portet Fontaine Cabernet Sauvignon
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Great value

    Very good Yarra Valley Cab Sauv - extremely good value - Bold, juicy 'forest' berries, complexity will further develop. Great now with beef or lamb or give it some more time in the cellar!

  • GW
    Garth W.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    5 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Reviewing
    2020 Dominique Portet Fontaine Cabernet Sauvignon
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Delicious cabernet

    This is a medium bodied utterly delicious cabernet. Its a bottle that keeps inviting you back for another glass

For us, the Fontaine wines represent the full breadth of the Yarra Valley by sourcing from a range of vineyards in both the northern and southern ends of the Valley. The sites are all north facing for maximum sunshine and are generally clay based soils with broken sandstone, allowing for excellent water retention. This enables the vines to handle summer drought and consistently deliver concentrated yet elegant wines.

A mild spring with high rainfall set the scene for the cool growing season. Summer began dry and remained below average temperature throughout - in the end the season brought everything together albeit much later than the previous year and gave us a wine that resulted in a really classic Yarra style of Bordeaux blends - restrained and fruit driven with fine tannins. We strive for drinkability through elegance, and the season came through to deliver exactly that.

Hand picked and sorted by mechanical sorting line, then fermented at a relatively cool temperature to accentuate the aromatics and brightness. The wine spent 20 days on skins, before being moved to French oak barrels, of which 20% are new and then aged for 14 months prior to bottling.

Price Bracket $30 or Less
Type Red
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Merlot
Variety Style ["Cabernet Blends"]
Country Australia
Region Yarra Valley
Australian State VIC
Reviewed By The Wine Front
Critic Score 93
Alcohol 13%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

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