UPDATE: Something special for lovers of older red wines

You don't see many new-release wines at eight years of age; but that's not the only thing that makes the Patrick of Coonawarra 2012 Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon special.

The flagship wine of the producer - and only made in stellar vintages - was a joint effort between late winemaker Pat Tocaciu, who had a career spanning more than three decades with Tollana, Penfolds and DiGiorgio among others, and his son Luke, who now now runs the business. 

It is a wine made to cellar with 34 months of maturation in 100% new tightly grained French oak and five years in bottle under cork. It is sold in a distinctive white tube - making it an ideal present for a wine lover. 

"We think this wine reflects the essence of aged Coonawarra cabernet; rich opulent, classic Coonawarra," says Luke Tocaciu. 

Cork may be a controversial choice of closure, but Tocaciu stands by his choice. 

"These corks are Ref 1 hand selects, which was about the best you could buy at the time," he said. "We have now moved to 1 by 1 corks by MA Silva, that are individually tested for cork taint before the go in the bottle. As you can imagine it’s an expensive process, but worth it. 

"I still stand by the love of cork for this product as it is important in the wine’s journey through the cellaring- delayed release process." 

Luke Tocaciu describes the wine as having: "Bold, complex notes of dark chocolate and concentrated fruit lead to a wonderfully rich, structured palate with impeccable length." 

For me, it resembled one of Australia's old-style clarets, or a good Cru Bourgeois from Bordeaux. I enjoyed the restrained and elegant flavours, the slight rusticity and the dusty tannin notes. A stylish gentleman in a Tweed jacket. It retails for $125 a bottle.  

For details see www.patrickofcoonawarra.com/