Right now I’m definitely on a cabernet curve, if indeed not a bender. That makes me a rare Australian, if wine sales are anything to go by! And when I say cabernet, I mean the entire cabernet family, which of course comprises cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. Perhaps because it’s been shoved under a rock for so long, cabernet has suddenly become super competitive with both quality and value. Yes, some of the Australian expressions do need a little more time  before opening, but heck, many of the current releases are at least four years of age. We are carrying two vintages of the excellent merlot-driven Chateau Mauvesin Barton, a relatively recent addition to the Barton family’s Bordeaux folio. Comprising three varieties (sauvignon and franc play their part), its wines are deep and complex, backed by cigarboxy oak and gravelly tannins. Go the 2018 if you seek more power, the 2019 if you’re chasing finesse. At $54 a bottle they are outrageously competitive