2015 Mount Mary JWDM Cabernet

Mount Mary

Australia / Yarra Valley / Mount Mary

2015 was quite simply a truly outstanding Yarra Valley harvest. Exceptional ripening conditions throughout the growing season contributed to vibrant, expressive, complex and perfectly balanced, long-lived wines. The sheer quality of fruit from our oldest and most established vines makes this a very special wine, providing a unique representation of our terroir from a highly acclaimed vintage. 2015 also commemorates 40 years of winemaking at Mount Mary, a significant milestone in the history of our treasured site.
Mount Mary founder Dr John William Dyer Middleton's initial and firm belief in 1971 was that Cabernet Sauvignon was the Yarra Valley’s premium grape variety. This sentiment influenced his vision for Mount Mary and in turn drove our decision in making this one-off wine. There is an incredible latent power, elegance and balance to this wine that is testament to a 45+ year old vineyard. The palate shows impressive depth and persistence, with a fruit profile that is darker and more brooding than our flagship Quintet blend typically shows. The gravelly tannic spine is another example of just how great Yarra Cabernet can be. We do not wish to indicate a drinking window but expect the generations of Middletons to follow at Mount Mary will enjoy this wine for many decades to come. – Sam Middleton

August, 2019

James Halliday

Halliday Wine Companion 2020

99 points

95% cabernet, 5% malbec, hand-picked, bunch-sorted, open ferment whole berry/crushed fruit, matured in French oak (65% new, 35% second fill). JWDM are the initials of founder John Middleton. I have one word for the colour of the wine: amazing. The same applies to the bouquet and palate with a criss-cross of super-intense blackberry/cassis and a bevy of savoury lines of flavour. All up the wine is so intense it is painful, the pain from heaven.

April, 2019

Gary Walsh

The Wine Front

98+ points

Perfume. Precision. Power. Heady fragrance of violets over boysenberry, mainly, though a full spectrum of berries are in the mix, pencil, cedar, baking spices, subtle earth and gravel. It’s medium-bodied, plush with ripe berries, tobacco and exotic perfume. Tannin is deep and resonant, dense and gravelly, and for a man who loves his tannin, it’s blissfully good. Finish rolls on and on, all that tannin, savoury flavour and exquisite perfume like the vapour trail of a jet. It’s hard to fault, and so easy to fall in love with. It’s destined to become one of the legends of Australian wine.

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About Mount Mary

Mount Mary is one of the great small wineries of Australia, established by Dr John Middleton in 1972. Production is tiny. Mount Mary is noted for both the character and high quality of its wines. Since the first vintage in 1976, it has established itself as one of Australia's most highly regarded producers, commanding a mythical status among wine collectors. The vineyard faces due north and captures optimum sunlight during the growing season. The purity of fruit, poise and structure of Quintet, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot blend, epitomises the estate. It resonates with individuality of place and Dr John’s fastidious respect for the landscape. Mount Mary has continued to take great steps forward while staying true to the vision of Dr John, whose son David oversees the business while grandson Sam Middleton has taken on the winemaking mantle with aplomb.
“It’s axiomatic that generational change can be good or bad, obvious or discreet. The changes at Mount Mary have been unambiguously good, but fittingly discreet.” – James Halliday

About

Sam Middleton is a third generation wine maker from the Mount Mary family. He holds a degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Melbourne as well as a degree in Wine Science from Charles Sturt University. His background includes employment at several significant producers including Coldstream Hills and Dominique Portet. Sam has gained experience in France working a vintage in Burgundy in 2009 and travelling extensively through other wine regions on a number of occasions since. Bordeaux is of special interest to him as a result of its role in Mount Mary's history. Growing up in the Yarra Valley alongside his father and grandfather, grapes and wine have always been a part of life. He has always demonstrated a passion for primary production and has a deep respect for this region and its unique ability to produce world-class wines.