Cabernet Wine Reviews - Municipal Wines


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2021 No Intervention Cabernet Franc The vines in this vineyard are unirrigated and grown without the use of any chemicals. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered and without the use of pumps. Tasting Note Colour: Super bright crimson red with vivid pink edges. Aroma: Extremely complex and lifted with red currents, dark cherry, black plum, raspberry, dried sage, nutmeg, clove, thyme and fresh quince. Palate: Exceptionally long and complex with red currents, wild raspberry, boysenberry, blue berry, sweet spices, cinnamon bark and tobacco leaf. The wine has excellent structure with powdery tannins and an amazing fresh finish. Wine Profile Region: Strathbogie Ranges Vineyard: Home Vineyard Vintage: 2021 Variety: Cabernet Franc Production: 50 Cases Harvested: 21 & 22/2/2021 pH: 3.51 Alcohol: 12.5% Fermentation: 4 day cold soak followed by 9 days fermentation with punch downs twice daily and the temperature kept below 25 degrees to retain freshness and the heady, perfumed fruit and floral characters of the variety. Maturation: 17 months in a seasoned French oak hogshead. Home Vineyard Profile Area of Plantings: 0.2 Ha Row Orientation: North / South Trellis System: Single Wire Average Vine Age: 16 years Climate: Continental climate, warm days followed by very cool nights. MJT: 20.7 Growing Season Rainfall: 320mm-380mm Soil: Loam over sand Altitude: 200 Meters.

2019 No Intervention Cabernet Franc The vines in this vineyard are unirrigated and grown without the use of any chemicals. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered and without the use of pumps. Tasting Note Colour: Clear bright crimson red with great depth and brightness. Aroma: Super complex with red and blue fruits, hints of liquorice, a delicate herbaceous note, lilac and an amazing country garden floral character. Palate: Lovely bright fruits including vibrant red and black currents, sweet spices and sage. The wine has excellent length and structure with powdery tannins and an amazing fresh finish. Wine Profile Region: Strathbogie Ranges Vineyard: Home Vineyard Vintage: 2019 Variety: Cabernet Franc Production: 21 Cases Harvested: 3/3/2019 pH: 3.48 Alcohol: 12.3% Fermentation: 3 day cold soak followed by a short 8 day wild fermentation with punch downs twice daily and the temperature kept below 25 degrees to retain freshness and the heady, perfumed fruit character of the variety. Maturation: 15 months in a seasoned French oak hogshead. Home Vineyard Profile Area of Plantings: 0.2 Ha Row Orientation: North / South Trellis System: Single Wire Average Vine Age: 15 years Climate: Continental climate, warm days followed by very cool nights. MJT: 20.7 Growing Season Rainfall: 320mm-380mm Soil: Loam over sand Altitude: 200 Meters.

2018 No Intervention Cabernet Franc The vines in this vineyard are unirrigated and grown without the use of any chemicals. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered and without the use of pumps. Tasting Note Colour: Clear bright, crimson with youthful pink edges. Aroma: Lifted, bright and complex with red and black currents, cherry, spice, a lovely herbal note of sage and thyme and hints of oak spice including nutmeg. Palate: This wine has lovely fine tannins, excellent length and is delicate yet super complex with intense red and blue fruits including red currents and black currents, hints of dried herbs and sweet spices including cinnamon. Wine Profile Region: Strathbogie Ranges Vineyard: Home Vintage: 2018 Variety: Cabernet Franc Production: 29 cases Harvested: 18/2/2018 pH: 3.48 Alcohol: 12.2% Fermentation: 3 day cold soak followed by a short 10 day fermentation with punch downs twice daily and the temperature kept below 25 degrees to retain freshness and the heady, perfumed fruit characters of the variety. Concurrent malolactic fermentation was conducted prior to maturation. Maturation: 14 months in a second use French oak hogshead. Home Vineyard Profile Area of Plantings: 0.2 Ha Row Orientation: North / South Trellis System: Single Wire Average Vine Age: 15 years Climate: Continental climate, warm days followed by very cool nights. MJT: 20.7 Growing Season Rainfall: 320mm-380mm Soil: Loam over sand Altitude: 200 Meters. Review A fantastic project here. These wines have a ‘classic feel’ but fall under the more avant garde sect of winemakers and winemaking. Great stuff. Heavily seasoned but the wine cops it well, clove spice, tobacco whiffs over cassis and green peppercorns, flavours similar and the whole thing so silky, fresh-feeling, shy of medium weight, wrapped in a light web of tannin. Very elegant, refined, mouth-watering and vibrant. Excellent wine for its ilk. Mike Bennie - http://www.winefront.com.au

2016 No Intervention Cabernet Franc The vines in this vineyard are unirrigated and grown without the use of any chemicals. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered and without the use of pumps. Tasting Note Colour: Super bright, deep dark crimson with youthful pink edges. Aroma: Very intense with vibrant red and blue fruits including red currents, blueberry and rhubarb jumping out of the glass, lovely sweet spices of clove and nutmeg and hints of red liquorice and wild sage Palate: Complex yet fresh fruited with raspberry, cherry, black current, sweet spice and dried sage. Crunchy and bright, light to medium weight, with super fine tannins, heaps of fresh fruit and great length. Wine Profile Region: Strathbogie Ranges Vineyard: Home Vintage: 2016 Variety: Cabernet Franc Production: 13 Cases Harvested: 27/2/2016 pH: 3.31 T/A: 8.2 Alcohol: 12.5% Fermentation: 2 day cold soak followed by a short 8 day ferment with punch downs twice daily and the temperature kept below 30 degrees to retain freshness and the heady, perfumed fruit characters of the variety. Concurrent malolactic fermentation was conducted prior to maturation. Maturation: 12 months maturation to give time for all elements to mesh whilst retaining freshness and vibrancy. Home Vineyard Profile Area of Plantings: 0.2 Ha Row Orientation: North / South Trellis System: Single Wire Pruning: Unpruned Average Vine Age: 15 years Yield: 2.3T/Ha Climate: Continental climate, warm days followed by very cool nights. MJT: 20.7 Growing Season Rainfall: 320mm-380mm Soil: Loam over sand Altitude: 200 Meters. Review Stewed berries with rosemary. I like this richer perfume. Slurpy in texture, ripe berries, more rosemary, maybe some white pepper, a little game meat and dusty tannin in the mix too. Feels interesting and delicious. A bit of maturity showing perhaps but cool place and ageing wine is the vibe. This is a wildly good thing to drink. Mike Bennie - http://www.winefront.com.au

2015 No Intervention Cabernet Franc The vines in this vineyard are unirrigated and grown without the use of any chemicals. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered and without the use of pumps. Tasting Note Colour: Bright, medium plus intensity, crimson. Aroma: High intensity, red fruits, cola, raspberry tart, sandalwood, savoury spice and a slight herbal note. Palate: Medium body, high acid, chewy tannins, medium plus intensity with good structure and great balance. The flavour profile includes raspberry, strawberry, red currents, bitter chocolate and dried Italian herbs with a touch of fruit sweetness. The wine has great length and freshness. Wine Profile Region: Strathbogie Ranges Vineyard: Home Vintage: 2015 Variety: 100% Cabernet Franc Production: 27 Cases Harvested: 27/2/2015 pH: 3.25 T/A: 5.9 Alcohol: 11.7% Fermentation: 15% whole bunch to give some extra complexity without detracting from the heady, perfumed fruit characters of the variety. A short 8 day ferment kept between 22 and 28 degrees with punch downs twice daily to avoid harsh extraction of stalk tannins and retain freshness. Concurrent malolactic fermentation was conducted prior to barrel maturation. Maturation: 15 months in a second use Radoux French hogshead (300L) to provide subtle oak characters without overwhelming the delicate Cabernet Franc characters. Home Vineyard Profile Area of Plantings: 0.2 Ha Row Orientation: North / South Trellis System: Single Wire Pruning: Unpruned Average Vine Age: 15 years Yield: 2.3T/Ha Climate: Continental climate, warm days followed by very cool nights. MJT: 20.7 Growing Season Rainfall: 320mm-380mm Soil: Loam over sand Altitude: 200 Meters.

2015 No Intervention Home Vineyard Cabernets The vines in this vineyard are unirrigated and grown without the use of any chemicals. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered and without the use of pumps. Tasting Note Colour: Bright, medium plus intensity, red-purple. Aroma: Very Complex, medium plus intensity, bramble berries, black current, violets, truffle, clove, brooding spice, hawthorn, a floral note from the Petit Verdot and an underlying minerality. Palate: Generous, full bodied yet high in acid with grainy muscular tannins, medium plus intensity and great structure and acid drive. Flavour profile includes black berries, rhubarb, hints of vanilla and spice with a long and persistent finish. Wine Profile Region: Strathbogie Ranges Vineyard: Home Vintage: 2015 Variety: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Petite Verdot Production: 62 Cases Harvested: 8/3/15 and 14/3/15 pH: 3.29 T/A: 6.75 Alcohol: 12.5% Fermentation: The varieties were fermented separately with 8 day ferments between 22 and 27 degrees, punchdowns twice daily to avoid over extraction and create a perfumed elegant wine. Concurrent Malolactic fermentation was conducted. Maturation: The Petite Verdot was aged for 16 months in a second use French Radoux hogsheads (300L) to provide subtle oak characters without overwhelming the fruit and the Cabernet Sauvignon in a 1st use Hungarian Radoux hogshead to provide a great structure and weight to the wine. Home Vineyard Profile Area of Planting: 0.2 Ha Row Orientation: North / South Trellis System: Single Wire Pruning: Unpruned Average Vine Age: 15 years Yield: 2.3T/Ha Climate: Continental climate, warm days followed by very cool nights. MJT: 20.7 Growing Season Rainfall: 320mm-380mm Soil: Loam over sand Altitude: 200 Meters. Review It’s as good as I’ve seen a cabernet blend this year. Pitch perfect everything. Bruised-sour dark berry and sweet cassis fruit characters, black olive and salted liquorice notes, sprigs of bay leaf amongst the faintest ‘Aussie bush’ detail, a sense of granite/slate-mineral character. Has that tension in the palate that sits between juiciness and the skin of a balloon of tannin ready to burst but holding tight, all in a succulent flow that forms almost dart-like then fans as it finishes each sip. Far out. You have a moment I reckon. Just such a beautiful wine to drink and flicking on all the fine wine switches as you pause with it. Mea culpa for not getting here earlier. Mike Bennie - http://www.winefront.com.au