Xanadu Exmoor Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Australia)

Xanadu Exmoor Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Australia)"Beautifully harmonious and flavoursome, this tasty cabernet offers cassis, dark cherry, thyme, cedar and mixed spice notes on the nose, leading to a succulent palate that is supple and persistent. At its best: now to 2027" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Oct 2019 This Cabernet Sauvignon displays deep red with ruby hues in the glass. The wine exhibits vibrant, characteristic aromas of ripe blackcurrants, blueberries and dark plums meshed with hints of spicy,

"Beautifully harmonious and flavoursome, this tasty cabernet offers cassis, dark cherry, thyme, cedar and mixed spice notes on the nose, leading to a succulent palate that is supple and persistent. At its best: now to 2027" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Oct 2019

This Cabernet Sauvignon displays deep red with ruby hues in the glass. The wine exhibits vibrant, characteristic aromas of ripe blackcurrants, blueberries and dark plums meshed with hints of spicy, toasty oak. The generous palate is packed full of juicy fruits of the forest, cassis and chocolate characters. Medium to full-bodied, the fleshy fruits are supported by moreish, supple tannins. A balanced wine with a persistent fruit finish. Perfectly approachable in its youth, this wine will also comfortably cellar for several years.

The growing season began with late budburst after a relatively cold, wet Winter. The mild Spring which followed ensured that there was good flowering and fruit set, in fact some yields needed to be addressed with crop thinning. Fine, mild conditions prevailed during Summer, which ended up being one of the coolest growing seasons in recent years. Harvest commenced late, at the end of February, with abundant Marri blossom keeping bird pressure very low whilst the whites were harvested. March was relatively wet with a significant rain event after most of the white fruit had been picked. Fortunately, the April that followed was glorious (the driest April since 1982 in fact) with fine weather and no heat extremes experienced at all. The extended ripening period allowing the reds to attain full physiological maturity and tannin ripeness with a wonderful sense of finesse. 75% of blend was Estate grown on our Boodjudup and Stevens Road vineyards in the Wallcliffe sub-region of Margaret River. The remainder was predominantly sourced from an established Margaret River vineyard in Wilyabrup.

The fruit was crushed and destemmed then fermented in a combination of rotary and static fermenters at 26°C for 5 – 7 days. A portion of the blend was left for a period of extended maceration on skins followed by a gentle pressing adding plushness and a savoury textural element to the wine. The various batches underwent MLF in a combination of tank and barrel before 14 months of maturation in a selection French oak barriques (20% new).

Food Pairing: Experiment pairing this delicious Aussie red with Blue Cheese Burgers, or for a more traditional match, pair this Cabernet Sauvignon with Rosemary Braised Lamb Shanks