Nose
The colour is a bright crimson. Quite charming and subtle, the nose gives the impression of salinity, with aromas of clove, cocoa, blood orange and touches of river silt sitting over dark fruits.
Palate
The elegant palate mirrors the nose, with ripe reds fruits sitting over an acid backbone, creating a lovely mix of floral elements and fruits. The wine lingers with some lively acidity.
Growing Conditions
‘Clémentine’ is sourced entirely from the Woodlands Brook Vineyard, part of Woodlands since 2008. It is also on this property that Andrew and Marie fell in love, leading to their daughter ‘Clémentine’!
When we purchased Woodlands Brook we were excited by the site – with established Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot facing north west on free-draining Wilyabrup soils. We planted Cabernet Sauvignon on the south western border of the property in 2009. The soil in this plot contains a higher level of gravel and clay – perfect for powerful Cabernet Sauvignon.
We believe 2016 may go down in history as Margaret River’s greatest vintage. A perfect warm summer was interrupted by 90mm of rain in mid January, after which the great conditions continued. Our unirrigated vines loved the drink, and went on to produce wines of class and restrained power, balanced by great natural acidity – particularly so for our Cabernet Sauvignon vines.
Winemaking
Following harvest, the fruit was gently destemmed, hand sorted berry by berry, then crushed and fermented in small stainless steel fermenters. Following fermentation, the Cabernet Sauvignon portions remained on skins for added complexity and tannin integration. Once fermentation was complete this wine was transferred into French barrels where it remained for 18 months. 35% of the barrels used were new.
The 2016 is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec, 15% Merlot, and 14% Petit Verdot.
Food Pairing
Enjoy a glass with slow cooked lamb shanks, or spiced red wine braised beef short ribs.
