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Grosset Gaia Cabernet Merlot 2003 7 bottles available. "Gaia", according to Greek legend, was the Goddess of the Earth, guardian of its balance. Grosset’s Gaia Vineyard is situated at an altitude of 570 metres in the Clare Valley, the highest in the region. Grosset Gaia is traditionally a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. The wine's overall impression is of power and concentration with restraint and balance. A finely crafted wine from a challenging vintage. There’s a suggestion of confection and simplicity about its sweet, jammy aromas of red berries and cooked plums, while sweet oak and earthy undertones provide some support. Firm, astringent and full-flavoured, it offers intense flavours of sweet red and black berries framed by a dusty astringency, but does lack genuine length and reveal some greenish undertones. Its heavily worked extract doesn’t quite compensate for its customary core of ripe fruit. (Clare Valley, $45 retail, approx., 16.8/89, drink 2008-2011) Jeremy Oliver