Tasting Notes

Wine Making Notes

Harvest

The two selected zones were hand-harvested into small crates on 14/4/2021 and after a few days of cold soak, the indigenous yeasts were allowed to ferment to reflect the exact terroir’s make-up. The complexity of the aromas broadened from delicate floral notes to warm spices and meaty elements while retaining the saline notes particular to Margaret River’s Cabernet expression. The skin maceration was extended for a month post fermentation, further solidifying the wine’s structure. Only the free run juice was barrelled down into our best French oak, with 1/3 new Troncais barrels that added support and even more flesh to the firm tannic backbone. 17 months of aging further developed the finish, now round but still full of the characteristic impetuosity of the variety, ready for years of aging and enjoyment.

The best barrels were assembled in November 2022 and bottled without fining or filtration to retain all the characteristics and elegance of the first vintage of our Origin of Now Cabernet.

Variety

The two small parcels selected in 2021 to make this blend are located on a rare Wilyabrup terroir, with exceptionally weathered, free-draining, and gravelly soils. The vines were planted in the late 1990s on their own roots and yield very modestly. This combined with meticulous viticulture practices including double Guyot pruning, shoot thinning, strict VSP training and double-sided fruit zone leaf removal helped achieve full phenolic and organoleptic maturity despite some autumnal rains. A small parcel of clone 338 (~50% if the finished blend) was selected, providing a solid tannin structure and austere, elegant food-friendly varietal characters in the herbal and floral spectrum. The other micro-parcel selected for this blend was a Houghton clonal selection, a distinct Cabernet Sauvignon that built Margaret River’s reputation of fruit-forward power and density, bringing blackcurrants, cassis and savoury spices to the wine while retaining the grace of a medium-body.

Potential Cellaring

A cork closure was chosen to allow long aging with small oxygen ingress, making this wine well suited for long cellaring. Due to the living nature of this wine, sediments and crystals may be present and decanting is recommended.

Alc %

14.5%

750mL

Varietals

Cabernet Sauvignon

Nose

First aromas of cassis and bay leaf and black olive, followed by layers of tobacco and violets. 

Palate

The palate is full of rich structured blackcurrant, plum, and sweet cedar, with gentle flavours of tomatoes, capsicum and dried herbs.