2022 Hazel's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2022 season produced dense and structured Cabernet Sauvignon, with intense aromas of cassis, bayleaf, savoury olive tapenade and warm earth undertones.

The palate shows impressive upfront concentration, with dark cocoa dust and graphite, all supported by a framework of firm but finely woven tannins. A true reflection of its place of origin, this Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon is elegant, complex and age-worthy.

Vineyard: Hazel’s Vineyard reflects our commitment to regenerative farming and the pursuit of quality through responsible agriculture. Located in Forest Grove, this southern Margaret River site is defined by free draining ironstone gravel soils, a cooling maritime influence, and a north-facing aspect ensuring optimal exposure to the sunlight. Sustainable farming practices have brought enhanced vitality into these soils, enabling us to produce wines with exceptional texture, vibrancy, and site expression.

A cooler and wet Spring saw vine growth delayed in development, and we were set for a late start of harvest. But then Summer came, and it was full of sunshine, dry and warm through December, January, and February with warm days and some warm nights. Ripeness across all white varieties was quicker than average with a rather compressed white harvest. Quality across all whites is excellent, with lots of flavour and concentration yet retaining perfume and drive. The red harvest started about a week after the end of the whites. Yields were lower than expected across red varietals as well, however the warm and dry weather created desirable conditions for our reds that showcase fantastic tannin ripeness, concentration, and vibrancy of colour.

Sourced from a small gravelly block within Hazel’s Vineyard, the fruit was harvested and gently transferred by gravity into four-tonne open stone fermenters. Fermentation was driven by native yeasts indigenous to the site, with gentle extraction carried out over three weeks on skins. The wine was then pressed to French oak barriques, 30% of which were new, and matured in our cool underground cellars for 14 months prior to bottling.