The 2023 growing season was the fourth cool season in a row. The 2020-2023 La Nina seasons will be remembered for their challenges, but also for the lovely elegant wines they have produced. Cool is one thing, but wet and humid is another. Extreme October-December rains and high humidity kept the vineyard team on it’s toes. Keeping the vineyard disease free and balanced during this period was the key to this wonderful vintage. From Jan-April we saw welcome dry periods with all fruit picked between March 10th and April 4th.

The wine shines with vibrant purple hues, the nose wafting with currants, blue fruits, boysenberry and fresh leafy tobacco. The medium weight palate is threaded with blackberry, red currants, hints of cassis, blood plum and vibrant crushed red fruits on a background of lightly baked earth and fresh cut beetroot. The long, fine and gravelly tannin frames this wine and provides a wonderful fine structure driving long to the finish.

Low crops and careful canopy management ensure powerful varietal flavours and great intensity in a medium bodied frame in this Cabernet blend. Once harvested, the fruit was placed in the cool room overnight and the following morning bunches were sorted and destemmed with each variety kept separate for fermentation. Following alcoholic fermentation in open fermenters the Cabernet was left on skins for extended maceration which produces fine tannins, essential for the structure and longevity of the wine. After pressing, the wine was transferred to French oak barriques (35% new) for maturation.

Ideally matched with locally farmed spring lamb cutlets and crisp rosemary, salted roast kipflers.