MILL CABERNET MERLOT

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Growing Season

The Cabernet fruit in this wine is sourced from the oldest vines on the estate. The vines are hand pruned in winter to ensure a small crop load while allowing sunlight into the canopy. The vines are then trained during the growing season with a bunch thinning occurring. The Cabernet was picked ripe at nearly 14 Be on April 3rd. The Merlot portion is also sourced from old vines trained to a Scott Henry Trellis System. Restricted Irrigation led to yield of 2.5t acre. The fruit was harvested on March 18th at a Be of 13.4.

Winemaking

The Cabernet and Merlot portions are both made separately until final blending which took place in February. The final blend contained 86% Cabernet and 14% Merlot. Both the Cabernet and Merlot were fermented in small open fermenters following crushing with the rollers open. The ferment was seeded with Bordeaux red yeast and maintained at 25-30ºC. Following ferment the wine was transferred to 2, 3 and 4 year old French and American barriques. The wine was racked every two months before final blending and bottling.

Tasting Notes

The Mill Cabernet Merlot is an excellent example of the harmony these varietals can exhibit when blended. The colour is deep berry red and has aromas of fruit, spice and American Oak. The palate displays soft integrated oak with concentrated fruit and soft lingering finish. Best served at room temperature this blend suits Italian cuisine and roast meats and will further develop complexity for four to five years.

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