2015 Cellar Release Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot
Alc/Vol 14.0%
Harvested: 27 March to 4 April 2015
Vineyard: Old Block V9, North Block U12, Weightmans Block 5
Soil: Gravel-loam soils with varying levels of clay or stone
Organic: Organically farmed
Oak: French oak, 18 months, 50% new
Cellaring: Up to 20 years
Colour: Medium brick red
Nose: Sweet red berries, graphite, mocha and dusty oak
Palate: Complex, great length and balance, supple tannins
Food Match: Roasted, pan-seared or slow-cooked meats

Vintage

A dynamic growing season with variable weather conditions. An unseasonably warm end to winter led to early bud-burst, followed by a cooler and windier spring, resulting in natural yield reduction. A consistently warm summer assisted with excellent early tannin ripeness and balanced flavour development but meant harvest timing was critical to ensure peak varietal expression.

Method

Hand-picked bunches were de-stemmed and sorted prior to fermentation in open and upright fermenters with regular, gentle pumpovers or plunging. Select parcels remained on skins for up to 19 days following fermentation and the wines then matured for 18 months in French oak with three-monthly rackings, prior to blending, fining and filtration with bottling in January 2017.

“Our inaugural Cellar Release Cabernet Sauvignon captures a moment in time, shaped by season and craft – its character deepened through careful maturation for ten years, just as our founder, Michael Wright, always intended.” – Tim Shand, Chief Winemaker

2023 Cabernets

Variety: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc=
Alc/Vol: 14.0%
Harvested: 29 March to 12 April 2023
Vineyards: A mix of old vines and younger clonal material
Soil: High quality gravel loams
Organic: Certified organic
Maturation: 9 months, 10% new French oak
Cellaring: 10 years
Colour: Vibrant ruby red
Nose: Perfumed, plum, mulberry, cherry, pepper, clove spice
Palate: Juicy, generous, velvety tannins, spiced oak finish
Food Match: Ragu’ alla Bolognese or roasted eggplant terrine

Vintage

Despite a cool start to spring, flowering and fruit set were even across all varieties. November heralded the beginning of a glorious run of weather. Days were warm but never hot, and temperatures dropped nicely into the evenings, allowing gradual ripening and acid retention in the grapes. Harvest commenced a week later than ‘normal’ under clear blue skies and finished in mid-April.

Method

Fruit parcels were hand harvested and fermented separately in a combination of open and concrete vessels, with gentle daily pump overs to preserve vibrant aromatics. After fermentation, the wines were pressed to French oak barriques for nine months of maturation, with select components also spending time in concrete to enhance purity and vitality. Bottled in July 2024.

“A chorus of certified organic red varieties, yet with a singular voice, and southern Margaret River Cabernet at its beating heart”

Tim Shand, Chief Winemaker

The Wine Front review by Gary Walsh

Posted on 2 August 2025

'54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc. Now then, this is sort of a new wine that Tim Shand says “is the heartland for us now, and harks back to the glory days of Cliff’s Cab Merlots of the 2000’s. What has improved in that time is the quality of our merlot fruit, from clones 181 and Q45.” Which I like. The straight Cabernet Sauvignon will now be released at ten years of age at $140 a pop. The flagship MJW will only be released in great years, and the 2022 is due for release in 2028. I don’t know what the price will be of that, though likely it will be similar to many top end MR Cabs. They are scaling back the oak too, and this wine only has 10% new, plus fermentation in concrete. Very interesting. As an aside, I can see this available at retail for $46, though it does say $60 on the bottle.

It’s medium-bodied, blue and black fruit, nutmeg and pepper, regional bay leaf and nori, tobacco. A crisp and lively feel, quite savoury with black olive and tobacco, a grainy and dusty grip to tannin, bright acidity, with a nutty redcurrant finish of good length. Quite a frisky wine, and charming in that way, almost a Yarra Valley typicity I’d suggest. Quite tight as at now, and better in a couple of years.'

92+ Points

2022 Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot
Alc/Vol 14.0%
Harvested: 24 March to 8 April 2022
Vineyard: Coastal Estate vineyards in the Stevens Valley
Soil: Gently rolling, gravelly slopes
Organic: Certified organic
Oak: 7 months, 10% new French oak
Cellaring: Up to 10 years
Colour: Medium dark red
Nose: Ripe mulberries, cherries, vanilla, dust of nutmeg
Palate: Bright-fruited, fine-boned, milk chocolate tannin
Food match: A great BBQ wine with steak or veggie burgers

Vintage

A cool start to the season delayed flowering and slowed early vine growth, but by late December our organic farming practices had the vineyard well placed for another stellar vintage. Healthy canopies kept the grapes cool through summer and preserved the freshness beautifully. Harvest finished up in early April, with the reds showing bright fruit and fine, silky tannins.

Method

Fruit was de-stemmed but not crushed preserving whole berries, then fermented in a combination of open, static and concrete vessels at below 27˚C to maintain aromatics and slow tannin & colour extraction. Once pressed off skins, wines matured for 7 months in French oak and concrete tanks with final blending in November and bottling in December 2022.

“A bright, juicy, and youthful Cabernet that celebrates our coastal patch of land, and the certified organic vines that call it home.”

Tim Shand, Chief Winemaker