
2016 Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Vintage Conditions
The 2015 to 2016 vintage season in Margaret River was generally warm and dry up to the third week in January 2016. The relatively dry winter combined with a warmer growing season corresponded to vines achieving good shoot lengths and making the transition from vegetative growth to fruiting growth a little earlier than normal; a great feature for fruit quality. Our dry growing season was quenched on 19th March, 2016 with 50 mm of rain, enough to wash the dust of the vine leaves, top up the dry soil profiles and carry the vines through to full ripeness. The resulting wines are fragrant with succulent natural acidities, lovely textures and intense aromatic lift.
Winemaking Note
The Cabernet Sauvignon portion of the blend is de-stemmed and crushed, so that each berry is just split. This is to ensure minimal berry degradation during the fermentation process. Our Merlot is crushed as to fully expose the delicate flesh and promote a more refined and elegant textural development. Our ferments are, by industry standards, cool and gentle, allowing slower, more controlled extraction of tannin and flavour. The wine is pumped over three times a day and then judiciously backed off as the wine develops.
This wine was on skins in the fermenter for 14 days, before gentle pressing and barrelling down. The result is clean, pure fruit flavours, boasting supple yet powerful tannin. The wine was aged in French oak for 10 months bottling.
Tasting Notes
A classic Margaret River blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. This wine has vibrant aromas of mulberries, vanilla pod, freshly ground coffee and violets. The palate is rich and luscious with mulberries continuing through, black currants and dark chocolate with an elegant finish of bold tannin and soft, glazed plum.
Accolades
GOLD - Margaret River Wine Show
94/100, Special Value star - James Halliday's 2019 Wine Companion
Cellaring
Up to 8 years, however we enjoy it for freshness now.