$149.90
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Region: Yarra Valley
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot
First Glance: Brooding, Structured, Black Fruit, Spice
Acclaim: 97pts
The Wine:
Hand-harvested and sorted, only the best berries make the cut. Cabernet is crushed for structure, while Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot undergo whole berry fermentation for fragrance and weight. Mostly fermented in half-tonne fermenters, hand-plunged daily. Some of the Cabernet ferments in 3,500L oak cask, with up to 8 weeks on skins for complexity. Matured 15 months in French oak barriques, 35% new.
Blueberry and blackberry fruits and a comforting rustic iodine feel compliment some bay leaf lift. Clove spice and a hint of smoky oak bring both flavour and tannin. Beautiful fruit weight, refreshing acidity and fine tannins form a solid foundation for a long future. Complex, but not intimidating, always exciting to watch evolve.
The Review:
Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion - 97pts
"A deep crimson purple; almost opaque. Uber classical cabernet aromas with its core of concentrated and pure blackcurrant and cedar. Throw in hints of bay leaf, some gravel and a little sea spray and you have a pretty special Dry Red Wine No. 1. It's richly fruited and elegant with perfectly integrated, supple and persistent tannins. An altogether sumptuous and majestic wine."
