Wendouree Clare Valley Cabernet Malbec 2014

‘AP Birks’ Wendouree is among Australia’s most collectible and sought after names in wine. This is picture perfect South Australia, Chocolate brown soils of the Clare hills, broken up with the contrast of rustic old buildings and eucalyptus trees.

Planting commenced in 1892 with a 0.2Ha block of Cabernet Sauvignon and then subsequent Birks generations planted further varieties, Shiraz in 1911 and additional Cabernet planting in 1971, eventually ending up with 50Ha of vines in total. Through time, overall plantings were reduced to about 25Ha in order to better manage the quality of the soil & the fruit to focus on making the best wines possible.

Vines are all dry-grown (no irrigation), produce grapes of fantastic concentration of flavour from the now, knarled old vines. Ultimately delivering a wine of concentration and power, built to stand the test of time. Needless to say, production is extremely limited with most wines sold through an allocation program.

 "45% cabernet sauvignon, 35% malbec and 20% shiraz from 1919 and 75 plantings on the Eastern and Central Vineyards. Bright hue; the fragrant bouquet draws one in like a moth to a candle with its interplay of cassis and plum on a positively juicy palate all the way through to the finish and aftertaste. Here the cadenced discipline of its siblings gives way to sheer pleasure.' - 96 Points - James Halliday Wine Companion."

"Deep red colour with a tint of purple. There's a hint of bacon-fat together with dark fruit aromas, and the palate is loaded with tannin seamlessly woven into its rich fruit flavour. There's a good firm grip to close. A serious red wine, solid and full-bodied, and it will certainly age well. An impressive wine that can already be enjoyed, but it would be a minor crime to drink it too young. 96 Points- Huon Hooke"