2017 Xanadu Wines DJL Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Australia 750 ml

The 93-point 2017 Xanadu DJL Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River delivers an insane amount of quality for the price: One taste of the dark ruby Cabernet—which is led by a nose of juicy black currant, plum, baking spice, and chocolate, and boasts a generous palate and long finish—and we were impressed enough to buy out the entire U.S. allocation, which we bring to you today for under $20.

The DJL is generous and rounded with polished tannins and just enough grip. “It’s the house wine I drink at home because it’s such a good value for the money,” winemaker Glenn Goddall told us when we visited recently. As opposed to some of the pricier offerings of the area, he calls the DJL “effortless,” as it shows pristine fruit elements and lots of fruit purity “without trying too hard.” In other words, perfect for an open-every-day Cabernet.

When we asked Glenn, the man whose Xanadu Cabernet has taken home Australia’s unmatched Jimmy Watson Trophy, why his region seemed so perfect for producing Bordeaux varieties—and turning out such stellar values—he was quick to answer: “Climate and clone,” he said, as the bright morning sun of Margaret River shone down behind him. “Like most of Australia, we’ve got oodles of sunshine hours. But to the west we’ve got a massive air conditioner called the Indian Ocean.” 

That combination of bright sunshine and the ocean’s regulating effect makes Margaret River more or less Napa Valley by the beach. It’s why famed agronomist Dr. John Gladstones identified the region as an ideal site for Bordeaux varieties more than fifty years ago.

The “clone” that Glenn referred to is the Houghton Clone, a heritage variety of Cabernet that thrives in Western Australia. “No one knows how it got here,” Glenn said, but the Houghton Clone is a huge piece of the Margaret River magic. “It’s got lovely plushness, it’s malleable and ductile, it loses its herbaceousness early, and it’s got ripe fruit and regional and varietal integrity.” 

Both climate and clone show perfectly in the 2017 DJL, which took home Best Cabernet not only at the Perth Royal Wine Show, but at the Wine Show of Western Australia, where it bested all other wines and was named Best Wine of Show. In fact, Glenn confessed that the 2017 DJL has garnered about as many honors as his legendary wine that won “The Jimmy,” referring to the unrivaled Jimmy Watson Trophy, which is awarded to Australia’s top young red wine every year.

Glenn has been with Xanadu for two decades, and the winery has been in Margaret River since Dr. John Lagan and his wife Eithne planted their first Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon near the coast in 1977. Acquired by the Rathbone family (of Wine Access favorites Mount Langi Ghiran and Yering Station) in 2005, Xanadu has stayed family-owned and obsessively quality-focused.

Before letting Glenn go, we had one more question about the Margaret River region, which has a Napa Valley-like climate, is just a few miles from the beach, and seems to be ground zero for some of the most delicious and affordable wines in the world: Is life there really as perfect as it seems? 

He responded with a story: It turns out that Glenn has a personal record for leaving work, driving to the beach for a quick surf run, and getting back to work: It’s just 35 minutes, he told us with a grin. “We’ve got to deal with some storms and fronts in the winter,” he replied, without breaking his smile. “But yeah, Margaret River’s pretty idyllic.” 

For the winemakers, and certainly for the wines.