Each year our Cabernet Sauvignon is named after a family member or friend. 2016 marked the birth of Andrew and Marie’s daughter Clémentine Eloise Watson. “Birth” year wines are always very special for us – our 2016 vintage joins the rare club of 1978, 1981, 1983, 2002, 2012 and 2014.
We believe 2016 may go down in history as Margaret River’s greatest vintage. A perfect warm summer was interrupted by 90mm of rain in mid-January, after which the great conditions continued. Our unirrigated vines loved the drink and went on to produce wines of class and restrained power, balanced by great natural acidity.
Our Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from our original plantings our south-facing slope. This wine is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. The soil profile of this slope is generally sandy loam over gravel and clay. These four small plots receive the greatest number of sunlight hours on our vineyard, but the east-west orientation of the vines ensures a slow fruit maturation. These are the last batches we harvest each year – and in 2016 the harvest ran from the 22nd of March to the 1st of April, yielding 5.8 tonnes per hectare.
Fruit for 2016 ‘Clémentine Eloise’ was hand-picked between 17th March – 1st April, yielding 5.6 tonnes per hectare. It was then hand sorted again in the winery before being transferred into small stainless-steel fermenters. Following fermentation, the wine macerated on skins for 28 days to further develop colours and supple tannins. After maceration, it was pressed and filled into new French oak barrels where they matured for another 20 months.
Our 2016 is a captivating dark crimson, sitting in the glass with confidence and ease. The nose is magnetic and engaging, with a spirited crunch and vibrant red fruits interlaced with violet and black rose tea. A backdrop of dark cherries and blackcurrant mixes with scented aromatics of mace and sandalwood. The palate is pristine and polished, and sheathed in a velvet veil of tannin, promising years in the cellar. We thoroughly recommend cellaring until at least 2022, and it will continue to cellar well until 2040.
A timeless and elegant Cabernet- like the movie “Casablanca” it dances, unravels and weaves, and tells a story you will want to watch time and time again..
