Clairault Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 88%, Petit Verdot 9%, Merlot 3%
Tasting Notes:
Deep red in colour. The aroma shows classic Cabernet Sauvignon varietal characteristics of blackberry, tobacco, and hints of violet and mint. Some oak influences show through on the aroma with roasted nuts and vanilla. The palate is medium bodied with a sweet core of berry fruit and reasonable acidity. It displays good length and fineness of tannins with excellent balance.
Winemaking Notes:
The 2008 vintage is becoming known as one of Margaret River’s best Cabernet vintages. The dry and mild spring has produced wines of great finesse and balance, wines that show classical Cabernet aromas, fine tannins and length. These are wines that will age superbly, this wine included. All the fruit for this wine came from the Clairault vineyard in Wilyabrup. Approximately 60% of the blend is from our 32 year old “A-block” vines. The remainder coming from 1999 planting of Cabernet mainly our “O-block”. The fruit was fermented in small open fermenters for 10 to 15 days on skins, before maturation in 30% new French oak barriques for 18 months. Bottling was on the 14th January, 2010.
Winemaking Analysis
Sugar Level at Picking: 13.0 – 13.5 Baume
Wine pH: 3.38
Wine Titratable Acidity: 6.6 g/L
Residual Sugar: 0.2 g/L
Alcohol: 13.5%
Winemaker: Will Shields
ACCOLADES
95 / 100 James Halliday, The Australian—November 2010
91 / 100 Gary Walsh, The Wine Front - March 2011
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