belated discovery: 2003 Leeuwin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Art Series

Poking around in my cellar the other evening for a dinner wine, I came across a bottle that had been squirreled away in a forgotten corner: 2003 Leeuwin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Art Series.  On opening, it tasted more like Cabernet Franc—strongly herbaceous, even tobacco-like—but with some airing this seven-year-old Cab smoothed out into a perfectly delicious, velvety-textured red, mercifully balanced and gorgeously fruity, and a perfect match with pork tenderloin and red peppers.  It was a reminder (if I needed one) that not all Australian reds are fruit bombs, and that Margaret River is an appellation worth taking seriously.  You can still find it, at around $35.