2019 Cabernet Sauvignon

VINTAGE 2019 – a cooler vintage, but a warm & dry period in March-April provided perfect conditions for red grape ripening.

(SUB)-REGION Wilyabrup, Margaret River

VARIETAL 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

APPEARANCE Rich plum red with black tints.

AROMA Aromas of salted raspberry, mulberry & bramble, tobacco and bay-leaf with complexing notes of ground coffee, dark chocolate and five spice.

PALATE Medium to full-bodied, this wine shows an abundance of fruit sweetness on the mid-palate, with classical cassis, raspberry and olive tapenade notes to the fore.  Savoury notes of tobacco leaf and dried herbs combine with hints of exotic spice, bitter cocoa and graphite to add depth and complexity.  A refreshing acid line provides poise and length, while an array of fine, earthen tannin provides structure and form.

WINEMAKING Fruit sourced from various blocks – so a combination of hand and machine picked fruit was destemmed to a combination of open and static fermenters. Generally, ferments were cold soaked, with a controlled ferment allowing for considered and gentle maceration on skins. Wines spent somewhere between 2-4 weeks on skins depending on the parcel and fermenter, with MLF complete before pressing off skins to tank for a quick settle before racking to oak. Wines then spent the next 18 months in oak with no racking or movement – just a monthly topping. Cabernet blends were assembled in December 2020 according to barrel selection, prior to a light egg fining, long-term settle in tank and filtration before bottling in June 2021.

OAK DETAIL 18-months maturation in a combination of new (30%) and seasoned French oak barriques. 

CELLARING Tannins are plentiful, providing a structural framework to the wine and ensuring good cellaring potential of 8-12 years, however they are sufficiently matured to allow for immediate enjoyment.

FOOD PAIRING Roasted leg of lamb with minted peas and potato dauphinoise.

ALCOHOL VOLUME 14%
ACIDITY pH 3.65 TA 5.85 g/L
RESIDUAL SUGAR <1.0g/L

AWARDS & REVIEWS
95 points , 2023 Halliday Wine Companion - Erin Larkin "100% cabernet sauvignon, Houghton clone. Matured for 18 months in French oak (36% new). You know when you spot Houghton clone from Wilyabrup that you're in for a succulent, red-fruited time. It's a combination of the clone and the dirt, and it's good. While the oak is initially prominent now, the fruit behind it is precisely as expected – singing. This may need a little more time for the oak to recede, however the fruit is bang-on, and the tannins are a highlight. Gorgeous. Drink 2021-2036."

93 points, The Real Review 2022 - Stuart Knox "Deep ruby with a hint of purple at the rim. Blackberry, bramble, and graphite aromatics. Palate sits deep with a rich line of black fruits and coffee-ground savoury elements. Tannins brace and compress through the middle palate then relax to allow the finish to open and linger. Drink 2022-2032."