When you find a great Aussie Cabernet, they really are something. For example, the 2004 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Valley Kalimna Block 42 blew me away, although Barossa is not necessarily known as a region for Cabernet. I gave the wine a perfect 100 points. It's one of the few Barossa reds that shows an incredible complexity, richness and power without being over-the-top or overly alcoholic. Balance with intensity is what comes to mind. It's part of Penfolds' "Special Bin" program and made from vines planted in the mid-1880s, which are still alive and flourishing on their own rootstock. These are what some believe are the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the world. About 500 cases were made. It's only been made twice: 2004 and 1996.

"A smooth and effortless cabernet that is as close to perfection as a warm climate cabernet will ever become. Its ethereal, wild and heady perfume is surely cabernet’s equivalent of pinot noir. Deep aromas of cassis, black cherries, mulberries, dark plums, blackberries and smoky, cedary oak overlie a hint of tobacco and chocolate. Deeply concentrated, its plush, smooth and pliant palate of deep fruit effortlessly integrates with firm, fine-grained tannin and assertive, balanced new oak. A brilliant exercise in strength and control. Drink 2034-2044+."