2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2018 – a classic Margaret River vintage, characterised by a beautifully warm and dry ripening period, moderated by afternoon sea breezes and cool, clear nights. Fruit was picked in superb condition at optimal ripeness with full flavours and balanced acidity.
Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appearance: Rich plum red with black tints.
Aroma: Aromas of blackcurrant and raspberry fruits ease into lifted violets, cedar and all-spice with savoury notes of olive, sage, bay and tobacco leaf.
Palate: Finely structured and elegant, this medium weighted wine displays an innate power whilst retaining delicacy and poise. Fine spun tannins carry ripe, perfumed fruits across the palate, whilst very tight-grained French oak provides structure, form and length to ensure a beautifully elegant finish.
Winemaking: Fruit sourced from 35-year-old vines on our Estate. Handpicked fruit was destemmed to open fermenter, prior to cold soak, with a controlled ferment allowing for considered and gentle maceration on skins. The wine spent up to 4 weeks on skins, with MLF complete before pressing to tank for a quick settle prior to racking to oak. Wines then spent the next 18 months in barrel with no racking or movement – just a monthly topping. Cabernet blends were assembled in November 2019 according to barrel selection, prior to a light egg fining, long-term settle in tank and filtration before bottling in July 2020.
Oak Detail: 18 months maturation in a combination of new (55%) and seasoned French oak barriques.
Cellaring: Tannins are plentiful – providing a structural framework to the wine and ensuring good cellaring potential of 20+ years, however, they are sufficiently fine and elegant to allow for immediate enjoyment.
Food Pairing: Roasted rack of lamb with rosemary-salted, crispy, duck fat potatoes.
Alcohol Volume: 14.5%
Acidity: pH 3.68 TA 6.1 g/L
Residual Sugar: 0.5 g/L
Awards & Ratings:
Gold, 96pts – 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards. Judges described as “Perfumed and lifted nose displaying scents of dark rose buds, violets, vanilla spice, cedar and masses of minty cassis and smoked plums. Sumptuous palate, creamy."
Gold, 95pts – 2021 Royal Adelaide Wine Show.
96pts “Supple, briny cassis rises up to greet you on first sniff. In a word, pretty. Vibrant. Also joyful. The wine takes a very serious turn on the palate. This is finely structured, shaped by chalky tannins that carry ripe, medium-weight fruit over the tongue and through to the finish. Caresses more than it asserts, making it a subtly spicy, elegant and willowy cabernet, capable of years of grace in the cellar. Brilliant fruit. Drink by 2046" Erin Larkin, 2022 Halliday Wine Companion.
95pts–“A poised and elegant nose of lead pencil, blackcurrant leaf, cassis and allspice captivates with the first few whiffs. And the palate doesn't disappoint—it’s an intense flow of fruit and spice contained by a spine of fine yet firm tannins. This is a powerful and expressive cabernet with regal ambitions that commands your attention with each sip. It's still so youthful and tightly wound and has a long life ahead. 2022-2032" Gabrielle Poy, The Real Review, 3 Feb 2022.