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2007 Heathcote Cabernet Sauvignon

Current Vintage 2007

Warm continental climate, low yielding vines, ancient Cambrian soils and fastidious viticulture produces intensely flavoured Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with clear regional and varietal character. Displaying a rich, deep red-purple colour the wine has dark berry, briar and cassis aromas. The palate is structured, with firmly integrated tannins and generous line and length.
(Scroll to the bottom of this page to see all reviews for current and past vintages of the Shelmerdine Cabernet Sauvignon)

The Vineyard

The fruit for this wine is grown in our Willoughby Bridge Vineyard at Colbinabbin, at the northern end of the Heathcote wine region. Willoughby Bridge Vineyard is planted on the renowned Cambrian rich red dirt, one of the oldest soil types in Australia. Another warm and dry vintage gave us low yields of intensely complex fruit.

The Winemaking

After hand-picking, the separate fruit parcels were given a short pre-fermentation cold soak before being open-fermented at warm temperatures. The wine was hand-plunged twice daily during its six-day ferment to achieve the desired balance of colour and tannin. The wine was then matured for 11 months in fine-grained, medium toast new and second year French oak barrels. Blended and bottle under screwcap in April 2007, this wine has the structure to mature well for at least a decade.

Technical Data

Alcohol:13.0%
Standard drinks: 7.7
pH: 3.39
TA: 6.9 g/l