Cape Barren Native Goose Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 from Cape Barren in McLaren Vale is a dark, inky cabernet that proves warm‑climate cab can still be seriously classy – plush, structured and beautifully expressive in the glass. This Native Goose Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 opens with blackcurrant, mulberry and dark plum, layered with bay leaf, floral lift, cigar box, chocolate, warm earth, tobacco leaf and a touch of mocha.

On the palate it sits medium to full‑bodied, with juicy cassis and blackberry framed by coffee‑bean, cocoa and gentle leafy notes carried on silky, fine‑grained tannins. There is excellent focus and length, that classic cedary cabernet feel and a savoury, tobacco‑tinged finish that marks it as proper McLaren Vale cab rather than a simple fruit bomb. It is already very attractive drinking and has the structure to cruise comfortably for seven or eight years.

Food‑wise, Cape Barren Native Goose Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is crying out for chargrilled lamb cutlets, roast beef, Brazilian‑style picanha, a rich beef lasagne or grilled portobello mushrooms with thyme. The variety’s blackcurrant, herb and tobacco notes, plus those mouth‑coating tannins, latch onto protein, fat and char, making it a brilliant red for Sunday roasts, pub‑style steak nights or a hearty winter stew.