Ansted & Osicka 1970 Block Balgownie Cabernet Sauvignon 2024

best australian wines
Written By Campbell Mattinson
Mattinson review of Ansted & Osicka 1970 Block Balgownie Cabernet Sauvignon 2024.

One of the best wine moments of 2024 was when the 2022 release of Ansted & Osicka Balgownie 1970 Block Cabernet Sauvignon hit the desk. The 2024 release is now here. It seems as if, in all likelihood, we are on borrowed time with this vineyard, which makes each of these releases precious. Maybe this is the last. Maybe it’s not. If it is, it’s a mighty way to go out.

Mighty in a minor key. It doesn’t overplay anything, and yet every note is clear, deep and resonant. It tastes of currants, earths, smokes, roots and leaves; it’s sweet-fruited and savoury; it has mint top notes and licorice down below. It’s a beautiful wine, full stop, structured and generous; intent of tannin; meaningful. For now or for the long haul. It does its land, its history and itself proud. 96 points.

Campbell Mattinson

This post was written by Campbell Mattinson. Mattinson is a former chief editor of the Halliday Wine Companion book, former editor of Halliday magazine, former editor of Australian Sommelier Magazine and founder of The Winefront business. He is the author of five books on wine – four of which were bestsellers (The Wine Hunter, the Big Red Wine Book 2008, the Big Red Wine Book 2009, and the Big Red Wine Book 2010).

Mattinson is also the founder of the Mattinson Photography business.

Campbell Mattinson has been an independent journalist, wine critic and photographer for forty years. He’s the only Australian to have won the Australian Wine Communicator of the Year Award more than once. He’s a past winner of a Louis Roederer International Wine Media Award; is the author of the award-winning book The Wine Hunter; and is the author of the best-selling novel We Were Not Men. He’s also a winner of a St Kilda Film Festival Award (as writer-director) and is a former winner of the national Best Australian Sports Writing Award. In 2026 three of his photographs were short-listed for the World Food Photography Awards.

Campbell Mattinson, who is 100% independent, has tasted between 5000 and 10,000 wines each and every year for the past 25 years. He tastes blind, in comparative brackets, as often as is practicable.

Campbell Mattinson is a journalist, a photographer, a filmmaker and a wine critic. In all of these mediums his prime motive is to tell people's stories.

https://www.campbellmattinson.com
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