2018 Clairault Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Blend
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard
Clairault Vineyard, Wilyabrup
Winemaking Note
The fruit is hand harvested, de-stemmed and crushed, so that each berry is just split. This is to ensure minimal berry degradation during the fermentation process and to promote fresh, clean flavour production by our very specifically selected yeast strain. Our ferments are, by industry standards, cool and gentle, allowing slower, more controlled extraction of tannin and flavour. The wine is pumped over three times a day and then judiciously backed off as the wine develops. This wine was on skins in the fermenter for 14 days, before gentle pressing and barrelling down. The result is clean, pure fruit flavours, boasting supple yet powerful tannin. The wine was aged in 50% new French barriques for 18 months before the wine was removed from barrels, clarified and bottled.
Vintage Conditions
After an unseasonable dry early Winter, late rains in August and September came to the rescue. Budburst commenced in early August and continued until late September. Significant rain events persisted through to mid-October, with conditions fining up through the flowering period enabling successful flowering and fruit set. Vine growth was excellent and excess vigour issues were dealt with by employing shoot thinning and vine de-legging practices, in a successful attempt to deter regrowth and crowding of fruit zone areas. Harvest began on the 27th January, in line with the earliest picking dates on record, trailing out until completion on the 13th April.
Aroma
Violets, cassis, liquorice and red currants.
Palate
A coating entry of red and black fruits, boysenberries and licks of black cherry. A focused arsenal of slender tannin and bristling flavours of graphite and mulberries culminates in a persistent finish laced with violets and currants.
Cellaring
Enjoyed for its freshness now, or cellar up to 20 years for further complexity.
Alcohol
14%
Accolades
95 Points - Ray Jordan's WA Wine Guide 2023
94 Points - Wine Companion 2022
94 Points - The West Australian Wine Guide 2023
92 Points - The Real Review, 2022