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McHenry Hohnen 'Tiger Country' Tempranillo Petit Verdot Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Aromas of blackcurrant, cherry, raspberry, blood, violets, earth, mint and cedar oak. It is all happening here. On the palate medium bodied with red fruit, violet, mint and earthy flavours. Lovely dry fine firm tannins and fresh crisp acidity. Finishes with crunchy red fruit and dried herb flavours. This really builds up with some time in the glass so decant if drinking now. Intriguing and highly interesting. Drink : 2007 - 2015 91 points Gary Walsh, Winorama Though I believe that the tiger in the name of the wine actually refers to the tiger snakes in the vineyard. Oh well. A fine and expressive nose: black cherries and dusty red cherries, earth, mulberries and a stick of red liquorice. The palate showed savoury red fruits, lively and bright, supple tannins that are firm but resolved. The wine gained some weight and fruit sweetness with time. An excellent wine - I think 3 or 4 of these in the cellar would drink nicely over the next few years. Drink : 2007 - 2011 91 points Lincoln Scott, Winorama David Hohnen, founder of both Cape Mentelle and Cloudy Bay has developed McHenry Hohnen Vintners with his brother in law Murray McHenry and daughter Freya Hohnen. 2004 saw the release of the first vintage of which we feature three wines. David Hohnen is unequivocal. He did not use the "R" word when he left Cape Mentelle a few years ago to kick back on his Margaret River farm and tend sheep, horses, vegies and vines. "I never retired. I never used the R word." But he did resign, and although that definitely begins with an "r" that's okay because it's not really the same as THE "R" word, and it's not like he was really saying he was giving up on the whole winemaking thing and would never crush another grape again. No way, because he never did (give up, that is). Which is why he is back here in Melbourne, doing his relaxed PR thing, talking about family and wine, the significance of the number three (we'll get to that in a minute) and how humbling it is to be starting over again in wine in his mid-50s. Humbling is the word for it. Seems the founder of pioneering Margaret River winery Cape Mentelle and the man behind New Zealand's most famous wine export success story - Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc - is just another schmuck these days with a wine to sell. Matching a swarthy Spaniard with two haughty Bordeaux types is inspired casting but then the number three is associated with some pretty good karma for Hohnen. His favourite film? Three Amigos. His closest, long-time wine friends are Cloudy Bay winemaker Kevin Judd and Californian winemaker Harold Osborne (who makes the Lacache wines out of Margaret River) - they are known as the three amigos. Jeni Port, There's no R in wine, The Age Epicure Vineyards The tempranillo is grown at McLeod Creek on Sebbes Road and the petit verdot and cabernet sauvignon are from Rocky Road. Both these vineyards are located in the southern half of the Margaret River wine region. Here, the cold Southern Ocean plays an important role for ripening in the cooler part of autumn. At both sites the soils are granite derived gravels of medium to low fertility. All vines are grown on a single bi-lateral cordon with a vertically trained canopy. Fermentation occurs in closed tanks using the 'pump-over' technique, where the juice is passed over the skins during the early and mid phases of fermentation. Skins are separated and pressed when colour is achieved and flavour extraction is completed. The wine is finished and matured in older barrels. The blend is assembled in summer, prior to bottling ahead of the next vintage. Tempranillo grows at McLeod Creek whilst Rocky Road is home to the petit verdot and cabernet sauvignon. The ‘pump over’ technique was used for these varieties, allowing very precise extraction of the beautifully ripe tannins. When fermentation was complete, the wine was transferred to barrels for maturing. Varietal heritage is revealed in complex aromas of dark chocolate liqueurs and spicy berry fruit. Starting sweet, firm by mid-palate, the wine finishes in a harmony of chalky tannins and balancing acids.