Xanadu Circa 77 Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Australia)

Description

Blueberry, Oak, Spice

"This is gorgeously composed and expressed on the nose, showing blackcurrant, dried herb, rich floral, clove and toasted nut aromas. It's equally satisfying in the mouth, delivering refined texture together with fine, chalky tannins, offering excellent structure that's both sturdy and silky. At its best: now to 2034" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Deep red with ruby hues. The wine exhibits vibrant, characteristic aromas of ripe blackcurrants, blueberries, and dark plums meshed with hints of dry Mediterranean herbs and subtle spicy, toasty oak. The generous palate is packed full of juicy fruits of the forest, cassis and red currant characters. Medium to full-bodied, the fleshy fruits are supported by moreish, supple and ripe tannins. A balanced wine, with a persistent fruit finish with beautiful regional savoury inflections of bay leaf, black olive and liquorice and subtle oak influences. Perfectly approachable in its youth, this wine will comfortably cellar for several years.

Average winter rainfall followed by a warm/dry spring set up an early start to the growing season. Fruit set was variable, resulting in lower yields across most varieties. The warm summer daytime temperatures combined with low yields saw harvest begin very early, at the end of January (one of our earliest ever) and all whites were harvested before the end of February. An incredible display of Marri blossom meant bird pressure was practically non-existent in the first half of vintage, and a short rain event after the white harvest offered some respite setting up the reds perfectly. Warm conditions continued throughout March, with all of the reds being harvested by the first week of April, our earliest ever harvest completion. In summary, 2020 will be remembered as an excellent vintage in Margaret River. 90% of the fruit for this blend was estate grown on our Boodjidup vineyard in the Wallcliffe sub-region of Margaret River.

The fruit was crushed and destemmed then fermented in a combination of rotary and static fermenters at 26oC for 5 – 7 days. A portion of the blend was left for a period of extended maceration on skins followed by a gentle pressing adding plushness and a savoury textural element to the wine. The various batches underwent MLF in a combination of tank and barrel before 14 months’ maturation in a selection French oak barriques (20% new).