On the nose there are distinct eucalypt characters derived from the nearby creek line and an accumulation of gum nut and leaf matter that has settled in the soils over a long sequence of infrequent floods. To this there are classic red fruits, tobacco, a touch of choc-mint all beautifully fused together. The wine is very dark in the glass with a red tinge on the edge. The palate is loaded with layers of dark cherries, cranberries, brambly forest fruits and dark chocolate, Ribena like curranty notes, and a long line of fine dusted tannins. This is a denser, richer, bolder, rounder expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, very typical of the Barossa Valley regional style.
Cellaring recommendation: 10 – 15 years
The vines were planted in 1991 on free-draining sandy brown loam on Greenock Creek. The brown loam is fertile and allows the roots to penetrate deep into the soil so the vines don’t get so stressed during heat waves. This slows down ripening and allows the natural blackcurrant and anise flavours to shine. The gum leaf matter that flows though the creek bed shows up in the wine as attractively floral overtones of mint.
We used only French oak in 2021, 20% of which was new. We find that French oak gives a lovely focus to a wine that is bursting with Cabernet fruit.
Cabernet Sauvignon’s signature cassis and blackcurrant leaf are complemented by mulberry, blueberry and a eucalypt edge, rounded out by a touch of graphite. The palate mirrors the nose with a ferrous, earthy note creeping in. It’s fresh and focused with great balance highlighted by the glide of its fine, almost chalky tannins.
Cellaring recommendation: 10 – 15 years
