Another near perfect vintage. Taking on the mantle of maturity, a bouquet of violets and brambley fruit complexed with brandy snaps, vanilla and tobacco. The wine evolves over time to an array of aromas that let your imagination run wild. Dense and luscious palate, which is offering immediate appeal now but will continue to develop beautifully for years to come. The fruit sourced for this wine comes from our oldest vines planted on the estate between 1970-72. The vineyard is located 8 kilometres from the ocean, with an elevation of 80 metres and a south-west aspect. The vines grow on gravel laterite soils derived from decomposed ironstone over gravelly, clay sub - soils. Vine spacing is 2200 vines/hectare with all vines vertically trained with judicious shoot and leaf removal carried out during late summer to open the canopy to sunlight. All vines are cane pruned with between 30 and 40 buds left on each vine. Trickle irrigation is installed and used sparingly, combined with a springtime composting to maintain vine health and ensure that physiologically ripe grapes are harvested. A mild yet wet winter with fairly consistent rains continuing till the end of October and cool to mild temperatures continuing to November ensured a relatively late budburst and flowering. By early summer, with the continuation of some mild to very warm temperatures and an end to the rain, the vines got a kick along. Ideal ripening conditions prevailed for the rest of the season due to optimal photosynthesis conditions. Weather was characterised by a lack of excessive heat and mild night time temperatures ensuring the vineyards provided fully ripe and flavoursome fruit. A little scare in early March by cyclone Steve produced only 7 mm of rain and provided brief respite during a rather hectic harvest schedule. Fine and mild weather continued until the last grapes were harvested by 12th April. Another excellent Marri blossom during February and March provided plenty of nectar for the silvereyes, which diminished their hunger for grapes. Two batches of Cabernet were harvested from the estate block on the 29th March and the 5th April. The sugar levels between the batches ranged from 25.0 to 26.1 brix and acidities between 6.2g/L, pH3.62 and 7.1g/L, pH 3.52. Average yield from the old vines was a moderate 7.6 tonne / hectare. A small amount (7%) of Cabernet franc from our Trinders vineyard harvested 20th March was used to lift the aromatics, harvested at 26 brix 5.5 g/L and ph 3.68. Fruit arriving at the winery is checked before it is de-stemmed and lightly crushed so that high proportions of whole berries are conveyed to the fermenter. The must was left to macerate for a day before seeding with neutral strain of yeast. Early vigorous extraction is followed by a gentler pump over regime as the ferment proceeds. Cabernet stays on skins for up to 28 days depending on the health and ripeness of the skins. Once dry, the wine is inoculated for malo-lactic fermentation. Then racked twice before going into barrels of which 75% of the barrels are new in late May. The oak for the barrels originates exclusively from the forests of Nevers, Allier and Troncais and coopered in France. The wine underwent periodic barrel to barrel rackings and regular toppings with a final assemblage done in spring of '00. The early blending allows time for a harmonious marriage of the components to occur. After 18 months in barrel the wine was blended together and coarsely filtered into bottle, mid December 2001. red wine

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