2010 Hay Shed Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
| Vintage: | 2010 |
| Growing Region: | Margaret River 100% |
| Grape Varieties: | Cabernet Sauvignon 100% |
Vintage
The 2010 vintage in Margaret River was in two distinct phases. Early in the season it was warmnd very dry. The fruit was scrupulously clean due to the lack of spring rain, making bright, clean and very fruit expressive wines.
While the height of summer was quite warm the season broke very quickly with temperatures dropping dramatically in late March proving beneficial as it allowed more time on the vine for the red varieties and prevented excessive sugar build up in the grapes which has moderated alcohol in the final wines. Red grapes need time on the vine to produce fine supple tannins and this is the key attribute evident from the cooler second half of the vintage in 2010 reds.
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Winemaking
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Hay Shed Hill vineyard were harvested at optimum ripeness from the outstanding 2009 vintage. The grapes were de-stemmed into open topped vessels for fermentation on skins with traditional pump over cap management. At the completion of fermentation the wine was left on skins for a further 10 days to maximize the development of the mature tannin. Maturation in French oak barrels for 13 months added further complexity and structure without dominating the fruit.
Colour
Dense dark red to black colour of great intensity.
Nose
An intense and rich bouquet led by the ripest cassis and berry fruits, rich and opulent but brooding in its youth. Behind the primary fruits are distinctive vineyard characteristics of dark chocolate and mint. The oak is background cedar which will recede further as the fruits emerge with some bottle age.
Palate
This vineyard consistently produces intense fleshy and full mid palate Cabernet with massive fruit weight with dark cherry and blackcurrant flavours. At the time of writing the wine is very youthful and tight but it still has ample fruit sweetness that will only become more accessible as the wine matures in bottle. This is a big full wine with ample flavour and concentration in the classic Margaret River tradition.
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