Brands Laira Patron Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Home from our wonderful holiday, I went out to dinner with my good friend Mark, and got this as he is a big fan of classic Coonawarra Cab Savs. Opened to a big bouquet of blackberry, blueberry, cedar, coffee, chocolate, earth and some vanilla. On the palate it was quite big and deep, with loads of berry fruits over some nicely controlled oak and fine almost stringy tannins. It did soften down over dinner, but really deserves more time in the bottle or a big decant to reveal its complexity.
50+4+13+18+8 = 93/100