Tasting Notes
winemaker's note
This year’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon release is as always, an epic expression of Margaret River Cabernet. It is a wine for the cellar if you can wait, effortless in every way, a cassis flavoured dream.
Julian Langworthy, Chief Winemaker
colour
Deep crimson with dark purple hues.
aroma
Classic varietal aromas of violets, cassis and graphite, with savoury sage and cedar. Dark bramble and liquorice aromas tie this exuberant and intense bouquet together.
palate
Beautifully ripe and superfine, dense tannins are the hallmark of this wine every year. Flavours of red plums and cherries are enhanced by savoury olive tapenade and tomato leaf. This wine is medium-bodied, with juicy natural acidity and an elegant persistence.
cellaring
This wine will reward careful cellaring for 6–12 years.
Technical
vintage
The 2019 growing season was not without challenge, but our mature vineyards in the Yallingup Hills, as always, excelled. A mild and very steady vintage allowed for slow, measured flavour and tannin development. The result is medium-bodied wines with lovely perfume and wonderful fine-boned tannin structures. Elegance personified if
you will.
winemaking
Representing the pinnacle of the Deep Woods house-style, this Cabernet Sauvignon was crafted from the ultra-low yielding, original vines on the estate, along with fruit from the Abbey Vale vineyard also in the Yallingup Hills.
The ferments were assessed daily and pump-overs were performed as required to gently extract colour, flavour and tannin. The wine was gently pressed to a combination of new and seasoned French barriques, where it matured in oak for 18 months.
region
Margaret River
variety
Cabernet Sauvignon
analysis
- Alcohol: 14.0%
- pH: 3.50
- TA 6.60 g/L
Food Pairings
Charred barbecue scotch fillet with chimichurri sauce and grilled corn salsa.
Awards
Perth Royal Wine Awards 2021
Decanter World Wine Awards 2021
Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2021
Wine Show of Western Australia 2021
James Halliday Australian Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge 2021
National Wine Show of Australia 2021
Reviews
James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2023
From the estate's first plantings; matured for 18 months in new and used French oak. Deep, vivid crimson purple. Fascinating bouquet that has the bay leaf I often find on the back palate/finish of quality cabernet sauvignon; also cassis (no surprise) wrapped in a fine gauze of oak and pliable tannins. Line, length and balance are all attributes of a classic Margaret River cabernet.
97
Ray Jordan, The West Australian Wine Guide 2022
A poised and elegantly structured cabernet reflecting the vintage, with the powdery tannin and leafy cabernet fruit strong characteristics. Bay leaf with an olive tapenade and dark chocolate combination. The palate has a smooth feel, with those chalky tannins working neatly through. It's very tight now and needs cellaring time to achieve its potential.
95
Huon Hooke, The Real Review 2021
Deep, dark colour and an unusual balsamic herb aroma, angelica, bitter herbs, the palate full-bodied and bright, with firm tannins that are just a bit astringent. There's a thread of greenness through it. It needs food.
90

Kings of cabernet
Another quality release from the Deep Woods team to tuck away in the cellar