Palate
In the cooler, continental climate of the Mount Baker sub region, we select north facing elevated sites to capture ample sun to ripen Cabernet fully. The early warmth and dryness of the 2014 vintage produced very small berries, packed with flavour and substance. This wine has a wild, ethereal presence with aromas of briary, hedgerow fruits. Fragrant sweet spice and doughy oak notes add a warmth and dimension. More refined than robust, the palate’s soft, plush red fruits give richness and the fine line of supple tannins, length and structure.
Growing Conditions
The Great Southern sub regions began the growing season with just adequate soil moisture and scant catchment fill. Predictably unpredictable spring weather in November did impact flowering, set and early spring growth on exposed sites. Summer was hot but uniformly so with some late onshore drizzle which brought the vintage to a rapid close in early April. With yields below average, the wines produced from the 2014 vintage are full of concentrated fruit flavours, good acidity and fine ripe tannins.
Winemaking
Small parcels are hand-picked and all batches are sorted to remove matter other than grapes before fermentation. Vinification occurred in closed stainless steel fermenters with diligent cap management to extract fine fruit tannin and strong varietal flavour. Selected parcels remained on skins post the fermentation to further enhance the tannin profile while others were pressed at dryness to capture fruit vibrancy. After pressing, each batch is matured separately in order to build a wine history over time. Barrel maturation for 18 months in 40% new and 60% older French oak barriques ensures the thorough integration of oak and grape tannins. The wine was egg white fined and lightly filtered before bottling.
