Viticulture

Hand picked from a selection of super premium cabernet vineyards at our disposal including a portion of open lyre trellis. As always, meticulous management of bud numbers and shoot thinning ensure a balanced canopy to ripen the crop. The vines grow in the well regarded gravelly/granite soils of Northern Margaret River and are allowed to reach full ripeness before harvesting. The 2016 vintage saw some late summer rain during the veraison period (colour change in berries). This had minimal effect on the grapes with the following warm conditions allowing the fruit to fully ripen with minimal disease pressure. Our best Cabernet blocks were harvested between the 21st of March and the 26th of March.

Winemaking

The fruit was harvested in the morning, delivered to the winery and was processed straight away on receival. Fermentation was controlled at 25-29 degrees Celsius in our small open fermenters with heading down boards. Extraction was achieved by daily draining of the wine away from the skins and returning back over the top, with fermentation and maceration times varying from 7 to 30 days. The wine was then pressed to a blend of new and older French oak barriques to complete malo – lactic fermentation.

Storage / Bottling

Maturation lasted 17 months before the wine was bottled in September 2017. Bottled under screw cap to ensure the wine retains its varietal and regional integrity for longer.

James Halliday Wine Companion

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon 96 Points & Top Cellaring Selection
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon 96 Points & Top Cellaring Selection
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon 96 Points
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points

2016 Cabernet Sauvignon

Silver – Perth Royal Wine Awards 2018
Silver – Decanter World Wine Awards 2018
4 1/2 Stars – Winestate Magazine 2018, Best of the West
Silver -Royal Hobart Wine Show 2017
Silver – Langton`s Margaret River Wine Show 2017
Bronze – Wine Show of Western Australia 2017
Bronze – Royal Hobart Wine Show 2018

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon

BLUE GOLD – Sydney Int Wine Competition 2018
95 Points – Ray Jordan West Australian Wine Guide 2018
Silver – Wine Show of Western Australia 2017
Bronze – International Wine & Spirits Competition 2017
Bronze – Royal Sydney Wine Show 2017
Bronze – London International Wine Challenge 2017
Bronze – Royal Perth Wine Show 2017

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

TROPHY – CHAMPION RED WINE  Australian Small Winemakers Show 2016
TROPHY  – CHAMPION VITICULTURIST Australian Small Winemakers Show 2016
BLUE GOLD – Sydney Int Wine Competition 2016
TOP 100 – Sydney Int Wine Competition 2016
GOLD -Australian Small Winemakers Show 2016
GOLD – Halliday Cabernet Challenge 2016
GOLD – Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2016
GOLD – Royal Queensland Wine Show 2016
GOLD – National Wine Show of Australia 2016
GOLD – Margaret River Wine Show 2016
GOLD – London International Wine Challenge 2016
Silver – Sydney Royal Wine Show 2016
Silver – International Wine & Spirits Competition 2016

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

Silver Medal – International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015
Bronze Medal – International Wine Challenge 2015
Bronze Medal – Sydney Royal Wine Show 2015
Bronze Medal – Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2015
94 Points – Wine Showcase Magazine 2015

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

4 Stars – Winestate Magazine, September 2014
Silver Medal – Margaret River Wine Show 2014
Silver Medal – International Wine & Spirits Challenge 2014
Silver Medal – International Wine Challenge 2014

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

GOLD Medal – Qantas Wine Show of WA Mount Barker 2013

96 Points – James Halliday Wine Companion 2015
“A blend of 92% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc, and 2% each of petit verdot and malbec; open-fermented and macerated for between 7 and 30 days, then matured for 22 months in french oak (33% new). This is a very distinguished cabernet; while it is full of cassis fruit, it has the precision, bordering on rectitude, of high quality cabernet. Drink by 2031.”

92 Points – Ray Jordan Wine Guide 2014
“A tightly focused and slightly angular cabernet reflective of this northern Margaret River region. The nose is highly scented with leafy perfumed notes. On the palate it’s sinewy with firmish tannins and fine grained oak. The fruit is held with deft restraint to a long precise finish. Hints of cigar box and black olive add a degree of complexity to the mix. Will handle cellaring in the medium term.”

Silver Medal – International Wine Challenge 2014
Silver Medal – International Wine & Spirits Competition 2013
Silver Medal – Scoop Summer Edition Tasting 2014
93 Points – Wine Showcase Magazine August 2013
92 Points – Ray Jordan Wine Guide 2014
Bronze Medal – Royal Hobart Wine Show 2013
Bronze Medal – National Wine Show of Australia 2013
Bronze Medal – Perth Royal Wine Show 2013
Bronze Medal – Margaret River Wine Show 2013
Bronze Medal – Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2013
Bronze Medal – International Wine Challenge 2013
4 Stars – Winestate Tasting July/August 2013

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Silver Medal – Qantas Wine Show of WA Mt Barker 2012

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

4 1/2 Stars – Winestate Tasting May Edition 2012
Silver Medal – Margaret River Wine Show 2011
Silver Medal – Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2011
Silver Medal – Mount Barker Wine Show 2011
Silver Medal – Scoop Magazine Spring Tasting 2011
Bronze Medal – Sydney Royal Wine Show 2012
Bronze Medal – Australian Small Winemakers Show 2011
Bronze Medal – Perth Royal Wine Show 2011
Bronze Medal – International Wine & Spirits Fair Hong Kong 2011
Highly Commended – International Wine Challenge 2011
92/100 – Mike Beanie, Wine 100 Magazine October 2011

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Gold, Best in Class – International Wine & Spirits Comp 2010
Silver Medal – Australian Small Winemakers Show 2010
Silver Medal – Margaret River Wine Show 2010
Bronze Medal – Sydney Royal Wine Show 2010
94 Points – Ray Jordan 2011 WA Wine Guide
3 Stars – Winestate Magazine New Release Tasting 2010

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Bronze Medal – Rutherglen Wine Show 2010
Bronze Medal – Scoop Magazine Winter 2009
88 points, Gary Walsh: The Wine Front
4 stars, Equal Top in Category: Winestate Magazine 2010
91 points, Ray Jordan: WA Wine Guide 2010

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

Silver Medal – London International Wine & Spirit Comp 2008
Silver Medal – Margaret River Wine Show 2007
Silver Medal – Sydney Royal Wine Show 2008
Silver Medal – International Wine & Spirit Comp 2009
Bronze Medal – Qantas Wine Show of WA 2007
Bronze Medal – Rutherglen Wine Show 2008
Bronze Medal – Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2008
Bronze Medal – Royal Sydney Wine Show 2009
Bronze Medal – Ray Jordan’s WA Wine Guide 2009
Highly Commended – Sydney International Wine Comp 2008

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Bronze Medal – Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2007
Bronze Medal – Royal Perth Wine Show 2007
Bronze Medal – Royal Perth Wine Show 2006
Bronze Medal – Margaret River Wine Show 2006
Bronze Medal – Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2007
90 points, Capbell Mattinson: The Wine Front
90 points, Huon Hooke: SMH “Good Living” May 2007

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

Silver Medal – Qantas Wine Show of WA 2006
Silver Medal – Qantas Wine Show of WA 2005
Bronze Medal – Royal Sydney Wine Show 2005
Top 10 Cabernet Blends – Peter Forrestal, Qantas Magazine
4 1/2 stars, Winestate Tasting Magazine Sept 2005
90 points, Ray Jordan: WA Wine Guide 05/06

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

Silver Medal – Royal Sydney Wine Show 2004
2 Bronze Medals

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon

2 Bronze Medals