Hay Shed Hill|Margaret River|Premium Wines

Vintage:	2004
Growing Region:	Margaret River 100%
Grape Varieties:	Cabernet Franc 100%

Cabernet Franc is the classic Bordeaux variety that is always at the dance but seems never to be 'belle of the ball'. A variety that has consistently been an integral component of the worlds greatest red wines for over a century Cabernet Franc has never had 15 minutes of fame being overshadowed by its more brash and, in wine terms, more compete cousins Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Cabernet Franc is and will continue to be, an indivisible part of the great Cabernet based blends because it has several attributes that neither Cabernet Sauvignon nor Merlot can bring to the blend. Namely; great aromatic intensity of berry fruits, greater early intensity than either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and, in special cases, great tannin complexity.

The Achilles heel of Cabernet Franc is that compared to its partners in the blend it is far more choosey in its optimal vineyard site requirements; climate, aspect, soil and so on. The Franc is fussier in its choice of site meaning that it rarely stands out on its own. The Hay Shed Hill vineyard has been renowned for its straight varietal Cabernet Franc wine for more than a decade – for some reason this site; the combination of climate, soil, aspect and the unknown individual eccentricities of this place has consistently produced Cabernet Franc of a quality that I have not seen equalled in my 15 years of making wine in Western Australia.

Winemaking

The fruit from Block 8 on the Hay Shed Hill property was harvested and fermented in open topped vessels with twice daily pump overs to aid the extraction of colour and flavour. The resultant wine was matured for 18 months in French oak barriques prior to bottling and further maturation in bottle for over a year to allow the wine to be ready for drinking on release.

Nose

Intense lifted berry fruits in the raspberry spectrum with chocolate and mocha hints. Some complex cedary notes from quality French oak are noted.

Palate

Only medium bodied compared to its cousins this wine surprises with the depth of fruit intensity and tannin complexity, showing great mid palate fruit sweetness and impressive textural palate extension this is a very fine wine and an outstanding example of a classic red wine variety.
 
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