d'Arenberg The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2017  £32.99

D'ARENBERG THE COPPERMINE ROAD CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Since 1912 the Osborn family have grown grapes and made wine in the picturesque surrounds of McLaren Vale. Today fourth generation family member Chester Osborn is at the winemaking helm, making distinctive wines using traditional methods in the winery and the vineyard.

Coppermine Road runs parallel to our very best Cabernet vineyard in McLaren Vale, just metres from the winery, cellar door and restaurant. Planted to an almost extinct clone, this vineyard rarely yields greater than one tonne to the acre.

The season began well with average winter rainfall, Summer conditions were significantly warmer than average with two heatwaves through January testing the limits of the vines. Following the heatwave were rain and cool weather, which helped slow down ripening, and allowed flavour development to catch up to sugar ripeness. White wines from this vintage are fruity and very flavoursome, as are reds with ample tannin to match.

Small batches of grapes are gently crushed and then transferred to five tonnes headed down open fermenters. These batches remain separate until final blending. Foot treading is undertaken two-thirds of the way through fermentation. The wine is then basket pressed and transferred to a mixture of new and used French oak barriques to complete fermentation. The barrel ferments are aged on lees, there is no racking until final blending and no fining or filtration.

Vibrant, aromatic and powerful. The nose is bursting with blackberry, beetroot and alpine herbs. The palate is earthy and medium weight, with coarse tannin and spicy acidity. This wine is elegant, yet brutish, showing great balance and character. The tannins and acidity need time to soften. Sit back and be patient.

While enjoyable in youth, this wine will reach its full potential with bottle age up to at least 20 years. The considerable structure and depth will ensure that the fruit characters will develop over time revealing more complexity and providing immense interest. This wine is best stored in an environment free of direct sunlight and with consistent temperatures between 10°C and 15°C.