2014 Bleasdale Vineyards Frank Potts Cabernet Blend Langhorne Creek 750 ml

“The Ultimate Viniculturist” Shines

“The ultimate viniculturist.” That’s what Australia’s greatest critic, James Halliday, called Bleasdale winemaker Paul Hotker after naming him 2017-2018 Winemaker of the Year. The award caps an unprecedented hot streak dating to 2007, when Hotker arrived at Bleasdale. Since then, Hotker has turned out 11 wines rated 95 points or above. On this Wine Access first, we’re thrilled to offer the 2014 Frank Potts Cabernet Blend from Bleasdale’s “Flagship Range” named for the founder, and representing one of the finest expressions of Langhorne Creek Cabernet. 96 points from a mesmerized Halliday, and a gold medal from Australia’s most prestigious wine competition, the National Wine Show. What Halliday heralded as Hotker’s “extraordinary skill” is on full display in this 2014. Just 56 cases made it stateside and all of them are earmarked for Wine Access clients. Available today as an exclusive pre-release at 26% off the recommended price. Just $25.99 per bottle while they last.

What sets Paul Hotker apart from the crowd isn’t just his incredibly keen palate, or his unerring drive to make better and better wines, it’s his vision. Hotker is at the forefront of a movement in Australian wine centered around freshness, fruit, and vibrancy; elegance over brute strength. The 2014 Frank Potts Cabernet Blend is a case in point: gorgeous blackberry and blooming violets burst from the glass, woven together like a tapestry. The deep purple color belies the wine’s richness and firm tannins show its aging potential, yet high-acid Cabernet Sauvignon, characteristic of cool-climate Langhorne Creek, provides a mouthwatering lift rarely achieved in hotter Australian climes.

The 2014 Frank Potts Cabernet Blend is named in honor of Bleasdale’s prescient founder. Established in 1850, Bleasdale is Australia’s second-oldest family-run winery. Day-to-day operations remain in the hands of Frank Potts’ descendants — currently fifth and sixth-generation — while Hotker holds down the winemaking. Old man Potts chose wisely when he felled the towering red gum trees of Langhorne Creek to make way for his vines. 150 years later, his estate is leading the way in Australia, propelled by magnificent bottlings like the 2014 Cabernet Blend.