2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

colour

Bright red with a crimson edge, it's lithe and not overtly dense.

aroma

The nose has a lovely red fruit lift with violets and the suggestion of cedar-like oak. Fragrant and expressive, but delicately poised like the vintage.

palate

The palate is a medium-bodied driven, fruit laden beast! Again, intense flavours of red brambly fruits and crunchy cranberries. Super fine tannins are elegantly suspended within the palate and are held in place with the suggestion of fine-grained French oak sweetness.

cellaring

Optimum drinking within three to eight years of vintage.

vintage

2021 was the depths of Covid, which presented a challenge in itself! The season was also quite cool and wet in parts, with some large rainfall events interspersed through the growing season. Tricky would be a fair summation!

The 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is not tricky, however. It is delicious; undeniably lighter framed than some other vintages, its medium bodied charm shines bright. Such is the quality of our Yallingup Hills vineyards and the very special sites of Deep Woods Estate and Abbey Vale. Viva la Cabernet!

winemaking

Representing the pinnacle of the Deep Woods Estate 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%
• TA: 6.10 g/L
• pH: 3.49

Charred barbecue scotch fillet with chimichurri sauce and grilled corn salsa.

Langtons Classified 8th Edition

LANGTONS Classification is the most respected secondary market guide to fine and luxury Australian wines. The Classification comprises the most sought-after Australian fine wines based on their strong track record at auction.

James Halliday, The Weekend Australian Magazine 2023

From the earliest plantings (in 1987) of the estate. It begins piling on points with the bright, clear colour and doesn't stop with the bouquet of blackcurrant, bay leaf and airy spices, then flowing on in elegant, medium-bodied mode to a perfectly balanced and mouth-watering finish. Something quite special in its Margaret River context.

Ray Jordan Wine Guide 2024

A more lightly framed wine than previous vintages but one that is so refined and elegantly poised. Blackcurrant and bay leaf with a little oyster shell minerality on the nose. The palate reveals other nuances of black fruits, with a chalky limestone and a slightly wet cement character. It's still very tight and will need some time to break free. A wine for the cellar for sure, and make sure you splash it around a bit in the decanter if drinking it now.

96

James Suckling, November 2023

Attractive aromas of blackcurrants, dark chocolate, cedar, dark spices and pine cones. Hints of cigar box, too. Medium- to full-bodied, steady and focused with mineral chalky freshness. Firm and structured but refined and sleek. Balanced and vivid. Well made. 

Angus Hughson, Margaret River Guide 2024

Medium-deep crimson. Lifted cassis, blackberry aromas with herb garden/hint bush garrigue notes. Richly flavoured with ample dark berry fruits, mocha oak notes and fine loose-knit grainy tannins. Finishes chocolaty and long. Lovely volume, definition and torque.

Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate 2023

2021 was a really challenging season for grape growing in Margaret River, in large part due to two cyclone weather events that pushed precipitation down the west coast of Australia. With significant rainfall in February and March, viticulturists were put under major strain in terms of managing the effects of rain in the vineyards. The 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is light-framed and pretty, loaded with violets and raspberries, the tannins defined by a raw cocoa edge. This is an earlier-drinking proposition than many of the wines in the lineup. It is actually a remarkable wine in the context of the season. Pretty! This is charming and lighter than its older siblings—the oak regime was tailored to suit the year.