Cabernet Malbec 2023
65% Cabernet Sauvignon 20% Malbec 10% Merlot 5% Petit Verdot
14.2% Alc.
Production: 4370 bottles
The Wine:
Cabernet Sauvignon from Wilyabrup and Wallcliffe sub-regions, plus luscious Malbec, old vine Merlot and Petit Verdot from Wilyabrup come together in this classic Bordeaux Blend. The fruit was hand harvested, destemmed without crushing and fermented with wild vineyard yeasts, hand plunged and gently basket pressed. The wine was aged for 22 months in subtle French oak barriques, 25% of which were new, and bottled unfined, unfiltered and unadulterated. This wine exhibits the restraint yet high complexity it is possible to achieve from these classic Bordeaux varieties in Margaret River when coupled with he Mr Barval old-world inspired winemaking techniques. Full bodied with youthful acidity, the wine displays power and concentration yet with the unmistakable elegance and precision that defines our Mr Barval style. This wine will drink well immediately and will also reward careful cellaring for many years to come.
The Vineyards:
The Cabernet portion of this wine came from five select vineyard sites. Three of these lie in the real ‘Dress Circle’ of Margaret River viticulture in the heart of the Wilyabrup sub-region. This area of Margaret River has shown year after year that it can deliver consistently incredible fruit quality and the finest of our fine wines are produced from fruit grown here. The other two Cabernet vineyard blocks are located in the Walcliffe sub-region of Margaret River, with a strong northerly exposure and around 4km from the Indian Ocean overlooking the coastal end of the Margaret River itself. Perched high on this hillside, the vines grow in gravelly, well drained soil and experience fantastic exposure to the warm summer sunshine and regular, cooling sea breezes.
The Merlot portion of the blend is from a very special old vineyard. One of the oldest and most historic in the entire Margaret River district, this Wilyabrup site displays all of the most sought after vineyard characteristics. Of particular note is that the vines are old – around 46 years old and un-irrigated, which leads to production of a Merlot wine with amazing depth and complexity.
The Vintage:
Margaret River’s 2023 vintage was the “Goldilocks” year — a season where each growth phase delivered just enough: winter cold and wet for a good dormancy and hydration of the vines, a mild spring with delayed budburst and gentle flowering, then summer that warmed without burning, with predictable easterly in the morning, and south westerly in the afternoon winds, punctuated with dry, cool nights. Yields were above average but the fruit showed taut structure, flavour complexity and vibrant acidity. In reds, firm but ripe tannins; in whites, vibrancy and elegance. Disease concerns were minimal; the result was a vintage that has all the chances to leave a mark in history of Margaret River, and I feel very fortunate to finding myself making wine in this year.
Winemaking:
All of the grapes for this wine were handpicked into small 8kg crates and immediately transported back to the winery where they were gently de-stemmed and not crushed, directly into their small fermentation vessels. This allowed the ferment to start with what were almost totally unburst, undamaged individual berries. The wines were fermented in their separate batches utilising indigenous yeasts unique to each vineyard site.
The must underwent a slow, steady ferment with gentle hand plunging twice each day. The individual batches spent from three weeks to 35 days on skins after which the fruit was basket pressed into French oak barriques 25% of witch being new, and was left to complete malolactic fermentation in barrel utilizing the activity of indigenous bacteria. The wine was left to mature for 22 months in barrel during which time it was racked via gravity one time and topped regularly
One day before bottling the wine was racked out of barrel to tank and was then bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Salutè
Robert Gherardi
