Description / Reviews
// 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc from Warragul, Gippsland
"Grown from two mature blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, including the original 1982 plantings and a little old vine Cabernet Franc, this wine is anchored in the deep, iron-rich volcanic soils of the Warragul Vineyard. Hand-harvested and sorted, then fermented on skins for a full month. The wine spent 12 months in French oak (10% new), allowing the vineyard to speak clearly through careful, restrained winemaking.
The nose is vibrant, aromatic and surprisingly floral with a lift of redcurrant, black cherry layered over darker tones of blackberry, cocoa, damp earth. Beneath the fruit lies a savoury thread of forest floor, graphite, and green pepper corn, hinting at the wine’s cool-climate origins and mineral core. On the palate, it’s finely structured yet ethereal. Silken tannins frame a palate of cassis, cedar, and black tea, tapering into notes of tobacco leaf, smoke and a deep ferrous ironstone core. There's clarity and restraint here, with elegance winning out over opulence. A poised, detailed expression of Cabernet, cool-climate in tone, timeless in style." - Ryan Ponsford, Winemaker
"Fruit off two blocks, including the 1982 north-facing site. A dash of cabernet franc in the mix. When gently handled and given the right vintage conditions, as in allowing proper ripeness, cabernet can be beautiful in Warragul. Here it is – a bright, garnet hue, alluring aromas of mulberries, cassis verging towards raspberries pepped up with fresh herbs and baking spices, plus a pop of meaty reduction. It is savoury, with a complex earthy/ferrous/iodine character. Perfectly mid-weighted and poised, with fine if lightly sandy tannins and plenty of refreshing acidity. It’s certainly in a youthful, exuberant stage – even if it is drinking well today – but another year or two will see this morph and garner more complexity." - 96 Points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion
"This wine doesn’t hide its cool-climate origin – a pungent green capsicum note leaps out of the glass, flanked by hints of mentholated eucalyptus, chervil and tarragon. Behind the greenery, though, you’ll find a bevy of high-toned red and purple fruit characteristics – just-ripe blood plums, mulberries and loganberries, with a lick of sweet crème de cassis and hints of freshly-turned earth and pouch tobacco. On the palate, the wine is high-toned and bright, with refreshing acidity and an elegant, relatively light body (especially compared to cabernets from warmer regions). The tannins here are silky and fine, with just enough grip to let their presence be known, and an appealingly bitter ferrous note provides a spine around which the tannins and fruit wrap themselves. The finish reveals some discreet spice notes indicative of the wine’s 10% new oak – a little nutmeg, kola nut and a dusting of bitter dark cacao. There’s just enough fruit ripeness and fleshiness here to ensure that the wine doesn’t tip over into the cool-climate cabernet trap of ‘mean and green’ – instead this is an elegant, compelling example of why cool-climate viticulture, if matched with thoughtful winemaking, might just be the thing to salvage cabernet’s reputation." - Young Gun of Wine
