Petaluma Evans Vineyard Cabernet Merlot 2018 from Coonawarra is a serious, dark‑fruited cab merlot that really shows off the Evans Vineyard terra rossa pedigree – full‑bodied, classy and built to age. This 2018 Petaluma Evans Vineyard Cabernet Merlot fuses ripe power with classic Coonawarra elegance, sitting comfortably in “special occasion” territory.

In the glass you’ll find dark fruit flavours of cassis, black cherry and blackberry, woven with green peppercorn, cedar, spice, tobacco, dark chocolate and a hint of mint and seaspray/oyster‑shell minerality. The palate is full, rich and beautifully structured, with ripe blackcurrant and plum, fine‑grained chalky tannins and well‑integrated oak giving length, drive and a long, persistent finish. It’s 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, so very much cab‑led in profile.

Food‑wise, it’s superb with old‑school English roast beef, grilled steak, roast lamb, hearty stews or a rich roast in the oven on a cool night. It also works brilliantly with bold, flavourful cheeses, and with 96‑point‑level reviews and 10+ years of cellaring potential, it’s a cracking candidate for the decanter or the cellar alike.