VASSE FELIX FILIUS CABERNET

Description

In the far southwestern corner of Australia sits a little square peninsula, about 100km wide and not even 50km long, that juts out into the Indian Ocean. The Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge is responsible in no small part for the Margaret River terroir. A ridge of gneiss and granite that runs north–south for the length of the peninsula, it is covered by rusty-red laterite soils, rich in aluminum and iron. Although not very high, the ridge gives sufficient shelter to the vineyards immediately behind it and moderates the prevailing coastal breezes that blow in from the nearby beaches.

Following Professor Harold Olmo’s (University of California Davis) report recommending Australia’s south-west to plant wine grapes, IN 1966 Dr John Gladstones (University of Western Australia) published a report isolating the Margaret River cape for it’s climatic similarities to Bordeaux. Just a year later, Vasse Felix’s progener would find the ideal site in the Walyabrup subregion, and plant Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec and Riesling to establish the Vasse Felix vineyard; which are now Margaret River’s oldest vines.

Winemaker’s Comments:

The individual batches were destemmed and sent as whole berries to stainless steel rotating fermenters. 100% wild yeast was allowed to ferment all our red batches. After a few days in a gentle soak, fermentation kicked off, with batches pressed
once fermentation was complete. Open top and use of aeration during fermentation helped to promote a clean fruit perfume,
soften the tannins and bring so much life to the wine. The resulting wines were matured in fine French oak for 11 months
prior to blending, with limited racking to help preserve the delicate wild characters captured in this low intervention
approach.