Heartland Directors Cut Cabernet Sauvignon 2019  £23.92

Heartland Directors Cut Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 

The mate to the flagship Shiraz, the Cabernet is made from the best fruit of the vintage. As with films, the Director's cut is the definitive version of the vintage, no compromises.

Vinatge - Except for the January 24th heat spike that affected every growing region, Langhorne Creek stayed reasonably cool with average temperatures nearly 10 degrees below Barossa and McLaren Vale. Despite all the usual fears it was a trouble-free and high-quality harvest. This why the quality and consistency of Langhorne Creek is gaining acknowledgement around the world.

Vinification - Only the finest Cabernet vineyards in Langhorne Creek contribute to Directors’ Cut. The old vine fruit is the cornerstone of this wine’s character. The fruit was harvested at night to retain freshness. Initial skin contact was followed by 7 days of cool fermentation with a Rhône isolate yeast and hand-plunging three times daily. Maturation then occurred in 75% new French oak hogsheads for approximately 12 months.

Tasting notes - The 2019 vintage of Directors’ Cut Cabernet Sauvignon showcases Langhorne Creek’s spice-infused grandeur. The old vines are guided by Ben Glaetzer and matured in the finest oak. Evolving fruit builds in the glass with each minute it spends there. This is complemented by black spice, fresh herbs and offset with taut tannins and a bright structure. This vintage will gain complexity and flavour with every year in bottle.

TONY LOVE || 95 POINTS Heartland’s flagship Cabernet brings together elite fruit with sophisticated concentration, sweet-smelling crushed herbals and a tempered soaking of 75% new French oak with its distinctive stamp of woody spice. It’s old school styling because of that, though a good decanting will see the more obvious timbers step back into the shadows. What remains is a properly crafted, delightfully balanced and finessed wine – a delightful Cabernet with plenty of regional and varietal soul.

-Tony Love || Wine Pilot