Devils Lair Cabernet Sauvignon vertical tasting 5 August 2026
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2026 12:44 pm
G’day
I hosted a vertical tasting of Devils Lair Cabernet Sauvignon at my favourite Perth BYO, Lulu’s Little Bistro. Despite the Water Corporation’s upgrade works threatening to disrupt proceedings, they went off without a hitch and Mark and Jodie looked after us superbly. Mark put together a special dish (beef done 4 ways) to accompany the wines.
Devils Lair was established in the 1980s by Phil Sexton (who later went on to establish Giant Steps in the Yarra Valley). It’s now part of the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio.
We tasted most vintages from 2024 back to 2011, with the 2013 vintage of the winery’s flagship 9th Chamber cabernet thrown in for comparison. As usual, we tasted from youngest to oldest.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2024: My first taste of this vintage. Deep purple in colour with a crimson rim. A perfumed and youthful nose, with blackcurrant, blackberry, cassis, vanilla, and eucalypt (which featured in many of the wines). The palate added some boysenberry to the fruit range. Tannins were slippery, and there’s a little mouthfeel or texture. Acid keeps it all in check (and this was also a feature of many of the wines) , and the wine finishes medium to long.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2023: Deep purple in colour with a crimson rim. The nose shows graphite / pencil shavings, eucalypt, Kirsch, blackcurrant and vanilla. The palate is powerful, with more blackberry, bay leaf, black olive, mocha and a faint touch of balsamic. Fine and mildly grippy tannins, this is full bodied, with a long finish and very well balanced. Rated highly by the group.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2022: Deep purple in colour with a crimson rim. Graphite, black cherry, blackcurrant and blackberry on the nose, with eucalypt and vanilla. The palate also shows dark fruits, as well as some red berries and even raspberry (one taster noted fruit rollups). There’s a touch of black olive and bay leaf, and more than a touch of milk chocolate. The fine tannins are starting to integrate. Medium to long finish and showing good structure.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020: Deep crimson. The nose was more savoury than previous wines, and shows a higher level of eucalypt / menthol alongside graphite and cedar. Dark fruited with mocha and umami notes. The palate is intense, and reflected the nose, with some bay leaf and black olive. One taster noted 70% milk chocolate, while another noted sour cranberry. Tannins are fine and supple and the wine has medium length only.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2018: Purple, with a crimson rim. A powerful nose, with graphite, blackberry, a fair whack of menthol / eucalypt, black olive and dark fruits overall. The palate adds blueberry to the fruit mix, with mocha / coffee, and a touch of pyrazine. One taster noted crushed ants. Tannins are glossy and there’s a velvety mouthfeel or texture. Excellent structure and long finish. Well regarded.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. Purple, with a crimson rim. A different wine to the 2018, with menthol, liquorice, red fruits, black olive, mulberry and vanilla. Red fruits (cherry, raspberry, cranberry) persist across the palate, with milk chocolate, cola, mocha and a herbal note that gives the wine a northern Italian feel. Dusty tannins and medium length. Rated highly by the group.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2016: Crimson colour. Eucalypt, cocoa powder, cola, with red and black fruits. One taster noted fresh tobacco. Ripe dark cherries on the palate, with more cocoa, dark chocolate and more ripe red and dark fruits. Tannins are integrating nicely and the wine is medium bodied.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2014: Crimson colour. A bigger wine than the 2016, with ripe red and dark fruits, vanilla, freshly crushed eucalypt leaves and cocoa. There’s juicy red and black fruits on the palate, with desiccated blueberries, cocoa and chocolate. Signs of development with some leather and a touch of earth and the tannins integrating nicely. Good structure, long finish and full bodied. Highly regarded.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: Crimson colour. Menthol and eucalypt on the nose, with lifted red fruits (especially cranberry), cocoa and spices. There’s juicy and slightly tart red fruits on the tongue, with more cocoa powder, chinotto and Campari notes. It’s showing signs of development, with one taster describing it as ‘airy’. Mildly grippy tannins and medium length.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2012: A darker crimson colour than the 2013. A savoury nose, with black olive, bay leaf, and dark fruits are in the background. Lifted fruits on the palate. Lots of tertiary notes. Fine, powdery (silty?) tannins and just enough acid. Medium to long finish and probably starting to decline.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2011: Crimson colour. A herbal nose, with tomato leaf, oregano and developed dark fruits. The palate was another wine to head into Italian style, with herbs, chinotto, roasted tomato and one taster noted lantana. Dried raspberry and milk chocolate. Good acid and a long finish. . Definitely into tertiary development, but less advanced than the 2012.
Devils Lair 9th Chamber Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: Dark crimson colour. A more savoury and intense wine than the ‘standard’ 2013 (and tasted alongside it). Black cherry, blackberry, developing red fruits and Lindt dark chocolate. The palate has more depth and reserve than the standard model, and greater intensity. More dark chocolate, with red fruits emerging from a dense core. There’s a richness or thickness of texture, with integrated drying tannins. Full bodied and long finish, and not included in the voting as it was such a step up.
Wine of the night (by a small margin) was the Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. It was interesting to witness the level of discussion generated by what are mid-level Margaret River reds. Thanks to those who attended for their enthusiastic participation, and of course to the Lulu’s team for magnificent accompanying food.
Cheers
Allan
I hosted a vertical tasting of Devils Lair Cabernet Sauvignon at my favourite Perth BYO, Lulu’s Little Bistro. Despite the Water Corporation’s upgrade works threatening to disrupt proceedings, they went off without a hitch and Mark and Jodie looked after us superbly. Mark put together a special dish (beef done 4 ways) to accompany the wines.
Devils Lair was established in the 1980s by Phil Sexton (who later went on to establish Giant Steps in the Yarra Valley). It’s now part of the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio.
We tasted most vintages from 2024 back to 2011, with the 2013 vintage of the winery’s flagship 9th Chamber cabernet thrown in for comparison. As usual, we tasted from youngest to oldest.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2024: My first taste of this vintage. Deep purple in colour with a crimson rim. A perfumed and youthful nose, with blackcurrant, blackberry, cassis, vanilla, and eucalypt (which featured in many of the wines). The palate added some boysenberry to the fruit range. Tannins were slippery, and there’s a little mouthfeel or texture. Acid keeps it all in check (and this was also a feature of many of the wines) , and the wine finishes medium to long.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2023: Deep purple in colour with a crimson rim. The nose shows graphite / pencil shavings, eucalypt, Kirsch, blackcurrant and vanilla. The palate is powerful, with more blackberry, bay leaf, black olive, mocha and a faint touch of balsamic. Fine and mildly grippy tannins, this is full bodied, with a long finish and very well balanced. Rated highly by the group.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2022: Deep purple in colour with a crimson rim. Graphite, black cherry, blackcurrant and blackberry on the nose, with eucalypt and vanilla. The palate also shows dark fruits, as well as some red berries and even raspberry (one taster noted fruit rollups). There’s a touch of black olive and bay leaf, and more than a touch of milk chocolate. The fine tannins are starting to integrate. Medium to long finish and showing good structure.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020: Deep crimson. The nose was more savoury than previous wines, and shows a higher level of eucalypt / menthol alongside graphite and cedar. Dark fruited with mocha and umami notes. The palate is intense, and reflected the nose, with some bay leaf and black olive. One taster noted 70% milk chocolate, while another noted sour cranberry. Tannins are fine and supple and the wine has medium length only.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2018: Purple, with a crimson rim. A powerful nose, with graphite, blackberry, a fair whack of menthol / eucalypt, black olive and dark fruits overall. The palate adds blueberry to the fruit mix, with mocha / coffee, and a touch of pyrazine. One taster noted crushed ants. Tannins are glossy and there’s a velvety mouthfeel or texture. Excellent structure and long finish. Well regarded.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. Purple, with a crimson rim. A different wine to the 2018, with menthol, liquorice, red fruits, black olive, mulberry and vanilla. Red fruits (cherry, raspberry, cranberry) persist across the palate, with milk chocolate, cola, mocha and a herbal note that gives the wine a northern Italian feel. Dusty tannins and medium length. Rated highly by the group.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2016: Crimson colour. Eucalypt, cocoa powder, cola, with red and black fruits. One taster noted fresh tobacco. Ripe dark cherries on the palate, with more cocoa, dark chocolate and more ripe red and dark fruits. Tannins are integrating nicely and the wine is medium bodied.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2014: Crimson colour. A bigger wine than the 2016, with ripe red and dark fruits, vanilla, freshly crushed eucalypt leaves and cocoa. There’s juicy red and black fruits on the palate, with desiccated blueberries, cocoa and chocolate. Signs of development with some leather and a touch of earth and the tannins integrating nicely. Good structure, long finish and full bodied. Highly regarded.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: Crimson colour. Menthol and eucalypt on the nose, with lifted red fruits (especially cranberry), cocoa and spices. There’s juicy and slightly tart red fruits on the tongue, with more cocoa powder, chinotto and Campari notes. It’s showing signs of development, with one taster describing it as ‘airy’. Mildly grippy tannins and medium length.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2012: A darker crimson colour than the 2013. A savoury nose, with black olive, bay leaf, and dark fruits are in the background. Lifted fruits on the palate. Lots of tertiary notes. Fine, powdery (silty?) tannins and just enough acid. Medium to long finish and probably starting to decline.
Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2011: Crimson colour. A herbal nose, with tomato leaf, oregano and developed dark fruits. The palate was another wine to head into Italian style, with herbs, chinotto, roasted tomato and one taster noted lantana. Dried raspberry and milk chocolate. Good acid and a long finish. . Definitely into tertiary development, but less advanced than the 2012.
Devils Lair 9th Chamber Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: Dark crimson colour. A more savoury and intense wine than the ‘standard’ 2013 (and tasted alongside it). Black cherry, blackberry, developing red fruits and Lindt dark chocolate. The palate has more depth and reserve than the standard model, and greater intensity. More dark chocolate, with red fruits emerging from a dense core. There’s a richness or thickness of texture, with integrated drying tannins. Full bodied and long finish, and not included in the voting as it was such a step up.
Wine of the night (by a small margin) was the Devils Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. It was interesting to witness the level of discussion generated by what are mid-level Margaret River reds. Thanks to those who attended for their enthusiastic participation, and of course to the Lulu’s team for magnificent accompanying food.
Cheers
Allan