2018 Davey & Browne Cabernet Sauvignon, Gordon + Bitner Block
This Cabernet Sauvignon is dense purple-red in color. Fragrant cassis aromas with nuances of mint chocolate, olive, and graphite. Blackberry and blueberry flavours flow through the medium to full-bodied palate, balanced harmoniously with fine-grained tannins and integrated notes of French oak. A contemporary McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon that expresses the synergy of this noble variety, the terroir, and my personal winemaking philosophy.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: McLaren Vale, South Australia
Vineyard: Gordon + Bitner Block, Davey Estate
Alcohol: 14.3%
pH: 3.64
Total Acidity: 7.1 g/L
2019 Davey & Browne Cabernet Sauvignon, Gordon + Bitner Block
Deep, ripe blackberry flavors create a complex and harmonious balance of long, slow maturation and oak integration.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: McLaren Vale, South Australia
Vineyard: Gordon + Bitner Block, Davey Estate
Alcohol: 14.3%
Winemaking
Two great McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon blocks combine harmoniously; one, a Reynella clone planted east-west in 1982 on loam and the other, a CW44 clone planted north-south in 1999 on red clay. Gentle cap management, through traditional open fermentation, protects and nurtures the unique qualities of the terroir. Very fine-grained French oak hogsheads are used to allow a long, slow maturation of the wine and subtle oak integration. A combination of new and 1-6 year-old oak barrels, crafted by select coopers to our requirements are used to create nuances and diversity of flavor.
Davey & Browne represents the culmination of a long enduring friendship between noted Australian wine luminary Kym Davey, who has a passion for motorbikes, and American wine entrepreneur Andrew Browne, an avid fly fishing enthusiast. These rich, handcrafted McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignons are sourced from the finest fruit of the prestigious Gordon + Bitner Block, named in honor of Kym and Andrew’s grandfathers, in the Davey Estate vineyard.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
LabRat checking in July 24th, 2026 with a busted lens on an iPhone cam that makes me take pics all weird.
(I swear I’m ordering a new one this week- sorry yall)
Davey & Browne 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon
Gordon + Bitner Block, McLaren Vale, Australia
Heavy bottle n all.
The Look:
Dense purple-red, moving toward deep ruby at the rim.
Good saturation and moderate viscosity.
At 14.3%, the legs are present and accounted for, but they are not attempting to escape the glass.
Looks like a serious, ripe Australian Cabernet, but not an over-extracted purple paint sample. No sediment.
The Nose:
Cassis/blackcurrant and ripe blackberry.
Blueberry and dark cherry.
Cedar, vanilla, and a little dark chocolate.
There is also a cooler, savory side with (very light) graphite, black olive, and a touch of licorice.
The Palate:
After the customary three sips…
Juicy blackberry, blueberry, and blackcurrant lead the charge.
The fruit is ripe and generous, but it is balanced by earthy spice, graphite, cedar, and that slightly herbal mint note.
The French oak brings vanilla and dry chocolate without turning the whole operation into a lumberyard.
A little licorice shows up toward the back, because apparently Australia requires that by law. OiOiOi.
The Texture:
Medium to full bodied.
Smooth, fine-grained tannins with enough grip to remind you that this is still Cabernet.
Decently balanced acidity keeps the ripe fruit from becoming heavy or syrupy. I would have preferred a hint of sweetness in there.
Substantial, but not one of those Cabs that makes your mouth feel like you have been licking a cedar fence.
The Finish:
Long and dry.
Blackcurrant, blackberry, cedar, and spice linger, followed by graphite and chalky drying tannins.
A leeettle teensy bit of cocoa and mint hang around after the fruit fades.
The Wrap Up:
This is a big McLaren Vale Cabernet.
There is plenty of ripe dark fruit for people who like a generous New World Cab, along with enough mint, olive, graphite, cedar, and tannin to keep things interesting.
I’d call it a “black leather jacket with a Magpie Salute pin over a button-down shirt wine.” Polished enough for dinner, but still willing to get into trouble afterward.
It is drinking well now, although I would give it at least 45 minutes in a decanter. Holds up on day 2. There is enough fruit and structure here to handle grilled steak, gamey lamb, short ribs, or whichever expensive cheese you purchased because the label said “reserve” in cursive.
This wine is Heavy! Well the bottle is anyway. The wine itself is medium bodied, deep dark red color. Really beautiful actually. Give this some time to open up in the glass or even a decanter. After a while it opened up to nice raspberry aroma with some faint oak and black olive briney (salty) notes. It tastes like typical cabernet cassis/blackcurrant fruit and a hint of green vegetable with some wood and light tannins. Not too much alcohol detected on the nose or palate. Finish is a little short it doesn’t linger too long but solid acid makes you want to go back for more quickly especially with food. A good steak wine, fancy cheese plate, or by itself as a decent sipper. I would put this above a weeknight wine but below a fancier and more interesting restaurant or gift wine. Thanks for the opportunity to try something from Australia which I don’t typically go for.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Davey & Browne Cabernet Sauvignons - $70 = 21.21%
Kind of interesting, the 5/28/25 offer was 89.99 for 6 bottles and 149.99 for 12 bottles. And the 2024 offer was 49.99 for 3 bottles and also 149.99 for 12 bottles. Quite a difference from today’s pricing of 109.99 for 4 bottle bottles and 259.99 for 12 bottles.
@kaolis
Interesting indeed. Wine prices are mostly being slashed due to reduced demand. Maybe not in the Down Under? I thought perhaps 2017 was a bad vintage in McLaren Vale (thus a higher tariff for just the '18 '19 bundle) but checking vintage charts, it seems 2018 was the weakest vintage between '17, '18 and '19. I get that summer shipping usually bumps the offers up by $10 or so, but this is a $110 increase. Yikes!
@chipgreen@kaolis
and I would think it’s doubtful the additional mass of the bottle even with fuel surcharges would bump the delivered price this much.
Just my 5¢ adjusted for inflation.
@chipgreen@kaolis@rjquillin Tariffs but that would only add 10% if the wine was not already in the US when the tariffs kicked in. Can’t see this one flying off the shelf with that increase and no seemingly plausible explanation.
Soooo Jan '26 The Snob Of Wine That Is Backwards (rws) offered the 2018 and the 2019.
The 2018 note:
The 2018 Davey & Browne Gordon + Bitner Block Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a lovely cab aroma full of dark fruit, lots of cedar, vanilla and more including touches of licorice and chocolate. It’s a strong and attractive start.
Tasting the wine reveals it to be lovely to drink as well with more juicy dark fruit plus nicely integrated spice and a bit of an earthy note. This is a big and delicious but still balanced Cab that is smooth and a bit tannic just the way we like it.
It ends dry and very long and was just as good on day 2. We love it! We put this at the high end of our 9 Taste Rating (92-93 points).
And The 2019 Davey & Browne Gordon + Bitner Block Cabernet Sauvignon opens very similar to the 2018 with lovely dark fruit, lots of cedar, vanilla and more including touches of licorice and chocolate.
Tasting the wine reveals it to still be a bit young and chewy at this point but this is built to age, so give it some time to breathe. Once you do there is tons of juicy, almost bright, tart, dark fruit plus nicely integrated spice and more licorice. This is delicious stuff that just keeps on getting better the more air it has.
It ends dry and very long and was just as good if not even a bit better on day 2. We love it!
Davey & Browne Cabernet Sauvignons
2018 Davey & Browne Cabernet Sauvignon, Gordon + Bitner Block
Specs
2019 Davey & Browne Cabernet Sauvignon, Gordon + Bitner Block
Specs
Winemaking
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
not for sale on winery website, $480/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Aug 17 - Wednesday, Aug 19
Davey & Browne Cabernet Sauvignons
4 bottles for $109.99 $27.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $259.99 $21.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018
2019
Previous offer:
3/20/24
LabRat checking in July 24th, 2026 with a busted lens on an iPhone cam that makes me take pics all weird.
(I swear I’m ordering a new one this week- sorry yall)
Davey & Browne 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon
Gordon + Bitner Block, McLaren Vale, Australia
Heavy bottle n all.
The Look:
Dense purple-red, moving toward deep ruby at the rim.
Good saturation and moderate viscosity.
At 14.3%, the legs are present and accounted for, but they are not attempting to escape the glass.
Looks like a serious, ripe Australian Cabernet, but not an over-extracted purple paint sample. No sediment.
The Nose:
Cassis/blackcurrant and ripe blackberry.
Blueberry and dark cherry.
Cedar, vanilla, and a little dark chocolate.
There is also a cooler, savory side with (very light) graphite, black olive, and a touch of licorice.
The Palate:
After the customary three sips…
Juicy blackberry, blueberry, and blackcurrant lead the charge.
The fruit is ripe and generous, but it is balanced by earthy spice, graphite, cedar, and that slightly herbal mint note.
The French oak brings vanilla and dry chocolate without turning the whole operation into a lumberyard.
A little licorice shows up toward the back, because apparently Australia requires that by law. OiOiOi.
The Texture:
Medium to full bodied.
Smooth, fine-grained tannins with enough grip to remind you that this is still Cabernet.
Decently balanced acidity keeps the ripe fruit from becoming heavy or syrupy. I would have preferred a hint of sweetness in there.
Substantial, but not one of those Cabs that makes your mouth feel like you have been licking a cedar fence.
The Finish:
Long and dry.
Blackcurrant, blackberry, cedar, and spice linger, followed by graphite and chalky drying tannins.
A leeettle teensy bit of cocoa and mint hang around after the fruit fades.
The Wrap Up:
This is a big McLaren Vale Cabernet.
There is plenty of ripe dark fruit for people who like a generous New World Cab, along with enough mint, olive, graphite, cedar, and tannin to keep things interesting.
I’d call it a “black leather jacket with a Magpie Salute pin over a button-down shirt wine.” Polished enough for dinner, but still willing to get into trouble afterward.
It is drinking well now, although I would give it at least 45 minutes in a decanter. Holds up on day 2. There is enough fruit and structure here to handle grilled steak, gamey lamb, short ribs, or whichever expensive cheese you purchased because the label said “reserve” in cursive.
2019 Davey & Browne Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine is Heavy! Well the bottle is anyway. The wine itself is medium bodied, deep dark red color. Really beautiful actually. Give this some time to open up in the glass or even a decanter. After a while it opened up to nice raspberry aroma with some faint oak and black olive briney (salty) notes. It tastes like typical cabernet cassis/blackcurrant fruit and a hint of green vegetable with some wood and light tannins. Not too much alcohol detected on the nose or palate. Finish is a little short it doesn’t linger too long but solid acid makes you want to go back for more quickly especially with food. A good steak wine, fancy cheese plate, or by itself as a decent sipper. I would put this above a weeknight wine but below a fancier and more interesting restaurant or gift wine. Thanks for the opportunity to try something from Australia which I don’t typically go for.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Davey & Browne Cabernet Sauvignons - $70 = 21.21%
Another previous offer May '25, both previous offers also included 2017
here
Kind of interesting, the 5/28/25 offer was 89.99 for 6 bottles and 149.99 for 12 bottles. And the 2024 offer was 49.99 for 3 bottles and also 149.99 for 12 bottles. Quite a difference from today’s pricing of 109.99 for 4 bottle bottles and 259.99 for 12 bottles.
@kaolis
Interesting indeed. Wine prices are mostly being slashed due to reduced demand. Maybe not in the Down Under? I thought perhaps 2017 was a bad vintage in McLaren Vale (thus a higher tariff for just the '18 '19 bundle) but checking vintage charts, it seems 2018 was the weakest vintage between '17, '18 and '19. I get that summer shipping usually bumps the offers up by $10 or so, but this is a $110 increase. Yikes!
@chipgreen @kaolis
and I would think it’s doubtful the additional mass of the bottle even with fuel surcharges would bump the delivered price this much.
Just my 5¢ adjusted for inflation.
@chipgreen @kaolis @rjquillin Tariffs
but that would only add 10% if the wine was not already in the US when the tariffs kicked in. Can’t see this one flying off the shelf with that increase and no seemingly plausible explanation.
Soooo Jan '26 The Snob Of Wine That Is Backwards (rws) offered the 2018 and the 2019.
The 2018 note:
The 2018 Davey & Browne Gordon + Bitner Block Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a lovely cab aroma full of dark fruit, lots of cedar, vanilla and more including touches of licorice and chocolate. It’s a strong and attractive start.
Tasting the wine reveals it to be lovely to drink as well with more juicy dark fruit plus nicely integrated spice and a bit of an earthy note. This is a big and delicious but still balanced Cab that is smooth and a bit tannic just the way we like it.
It ends dry and very long and was just as good on day 2. We love it! We put this at the high end of our 9 Taste Rating (92-93 points).
And The 2019 Davey & Browne Gordon + Bitner Block Cabernet Sauvignon opens very similar to the 2018 with lovely dark fruit, lots of cedar, vanilla and more including touches of licorice and chocolate.
Tasting the wine reveals it to still be a bit young and chewy at this point but this is built to age, so give it some time to breathe. Once you do there is tons of juicy, almost bright, tart, dark fruit plus nicely integrated spice and more licorice. This is delicious stuff that just keeps on getting better the more air it has.
It ends dry and very long and was just as good if not even a bit better on day 2. We love it!
fwiw
