A superbly fragrant nose of dark berry fruits, with hints of anise and forest floor earthiness. The palate is elegant with fine tannins and persistent length. Aged in French oak for twelve months, this wine drinks beautifully now and will benefit from cellaring.

VINEYARDS

The Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River is used for its consistency in producing rich fruit flavours, providing subtle and elegant aromatics and fine tannins.

SEASON

Rains during the month of January helped to freshen up the vineyard and top our dams and water tanks. Fortunately these rains were followed by sunny dry conditions and we found minimal disease pressure in the vineyard, which was mitigated with a little crop thinning. Yields have returned to normal cropping levels.

WINEMAKING

A considerable number of parcels go into making our Cabernet Merlot blend. A number of picks occur starting in the northern areas of Margaret River and working our way south over a couple of months. Each parcel is machine harvested during the cool of the night and transferred to static fermenters for a controlled and cool primary fermentation. After primary ferment each parcel is carefully pressed off. These parcels are kept separate and sent to a mix of new, second and third use French barrels for secondary ferment and maturation for twelve months.

TASTING NOTES

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot with portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot adding complexity. A beautifully fragrant nose of cassis and anise with notes of confectionary. The palate displays excellent fruit intensity with forest berries at the fore. Fine dusty tannins support a long elegant structure. Aged in French oak for twelve months.

View detailed tasting notes here