The three who hated it came up with comments like "alcoholic", "tastes like eating earth but not in a good way", "bitter" and "harsh tannins", and were the three least experienced tasters in the room. Their fresh palates were taking the wine at face value, not factoring in the hundred and one other factors that wine buffs automatically do when trying a wine that you know what it is. The two of us who are more experienced saw flaws, it was a bit acidic and a bit thin, but we saw its positive too.
Take, for instance, my note: "Light cherry with liquorice elements on the nose and then fresh raspberries with a little menthol, some herbal elements and lots of sweet fruit. The palate is soft, a little bit watery, but well matured and a lovely cherry and cinnamon flavour. At the end it is a bit gnarly, with some gutsier bitter elements and a bit of alcohol heat on the finish, but overall, and with a bit of food, this will be tasty. 7.5/10"
I saw the wine wasn't great, and mentioned it towards the end, but my less experienced colleagues saw the wine's flaws and gave up on it with a dismissive comment. Now I am known for doing that with some horrific wines, but when an obviously decent enough wine, that has imperfections, is tasted, I think that this is where an experienced taster can get a more rounded opinion of a wine, even though the blunt "its crap" viewpoint is equally valid.
Which brings me onto the wine's major fault that all of us agreed on - the price. At north of £30, Leeuwin's Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is horribly expensive. There are many other Cabernets from Australia that are just as good, or better, than this effort, and if there is any comment that should be simple and damning, it is this!
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