We have to admit to a stroke of dumb luck with this wine. We were actually looking at some fruit in a neighbouring vineyard, when the dozen or so unkempt rows over the fence caught our eye.
Beneath that wild canopy we found the tiniest bunches of dry grown Cabernet, absolutely brimming with varietal fruit flavour – and completely untended to that point. We had to have it, and roughly five minutes later a deal was struck. We hand picked, open fermented with ambient yeast and basket pressed to one new and one seasoned French barrique. To that we added one lonely row of Petit Verdot from a 25 year old vineyard – a micro ferment of about 100 kilograms – which adds colour, natural acidity and brightness.
From the northern end of the King Valley (Docker) it shows true Cabernet character – dark plum, bramble and bay leaf. Medium to full bodied with statuesque tannins and a fresh lick of acid throughout. We can’t wait to see it with 5-6 years bottle age.
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2016 Cabernet Petit Verdot
King Valley (Docker)
52 dozen made
2016 Cabernet Petit Verdot Tasting Note
$29/bottle – BUY
