2021 'Le Marquis' Cabernet Sauvignon

DESCRIPTION

Our Cabernet Sauvignon is quite unique for Australia due to our cool climate. It has an exceptionally long hang time on the vines from Veraison at the end of January/early February through to vintage in April and sometimes May. This leads to early tannin polymerisation (maturation) on the vine rather than awaiting bottle aging, producing softer, silky tannins normally seen in older cabernets. Victor is made in stellar vintages. Despite the flavour intensity, it is a structured and elegant wine. Long and soft tannins. There is none of the often-herbaceous character of this variety in our wines (nor in our other cabernets). It is a wine that ages exceedingly well with the first Victor (2004) still demonstrating bold fruit flavours and good acidity. Not fined nor filtered to maximise taste/aromatics.

Painting is of our ancestor, Marquis Jean-Baptiste Joseph de Beaurepaire, Knight of Malta and Knight of Saint-Louis, born 1731. Soldier, statesman, vigneron, and defender of Burgundy’s eastern borders from our family home at Beaurepaire-en-Bresse.

By Richard & Will de Beaurepaire

TERROIR

The vineyard is located above Rylstone in the Central Ranges GI of NSW (40km southeast of Mudgee, 70km northeast of Bathurst). It was planted in 1998 by Richard & Janet de Beaurepaire, with a mixture of Bordeaux, Rhône, and Burgundy varieties with the intention of selling most of the grapes whilst organically growing wine production. The decision to plant the vineyard at this location over other established winegrowing regions (including family winemaking operations in the Yarra Valley) was due to the similarity of the terroir to Burgundy – the home of the de Beaurepaire family. The vineyard is in a mountain valley, 150 kilometres from the coast in the Great Dividing Range. It is planted on North facing slopes rising from the Cudgegong River to an altitude of 650m. Geologically, the vineyard is planted on an Ordovician-era (450 MY ago) coral reef with shallow sandy and sandy-loam soils on limestone. The limestone was mined nearby until recently by Kandos Cement. The altitude, distance from ocean and poor heat retention of the soil and limestone, creates an inland continental climate as cool as Central Otago in New Zealand and Tasmania in Australia during the growing season with extreme diurnal variation – late Sept/Oct Budburst, Jan/Feb Veraison and March/April Harvest.

VINEYARD

Vintage Conditions: Thanks to drought breaking rain over Winter in 2020, the soil moisture of the soil was high, and budburst was early in September. Unfortunately we were then hit by a hard frost which cut yields by up to 90% in early budburst varieties. The summer was relatively cool, with rainfall ensuring very active canopy management. A cool year so slower ripening and longer flavour development. A year for great acidity.

Harvest (yield): Machine harvested on the evenings of 6 April and 9 April with a baumé of 13.5. Yield was approximately 8t/ha (~46hl/ha). Sourced from A block (Clone SA125) B Block (Clone SA125) and C Block (Clone CW44) with an average vine age of 19 to 21 years at time of harvest.

VINIFICATION

Gently pressed for 24 hours. 15% whole berries in fermenter. Fermentation in potter tanks for 13 days on skins. Juices from the last pressing were not retained. Not fined. Not filtered. Vegan friendly.

AGING

9 months in 2 to 3-year-old French (Taransaud) barriques. The oak was medium grained and medium toasted and sourced from numerous French forests.

Analysis : pH 3.55, TA 6.3g/l, VA 0.50g/l, RS 0.4g/l

TASTING NOTES

Deep crimson with medium, silky tannins showing excellent length and fine line acidity. The palate has dense forest fruit, cassis, and dark chocolate flavours with a floral, blueberries and blackberries bouquet.

VIN ET GASTRONOMIE

Medium to medium-rare steaks, pork tenderloin or lamb chops will work well with the bright acidity together with a spicy or rich sauce with a selection of broccoli rabe, grilled radicchio, roasted brussel sprouts and a luxurious mash with plenty of butter and cream. A chef’s favourite is a spice encrusted barbequed butterflied leg of lamb which included salt, rosemary, and cumin in the spicy mix. Curries and other spicy dishes like Mexican will also pop in the mouth with a great Cabernet Sauvignon.

WINE TIPS Cellaring Potential: 15 years+ (2034+)

Serving Temperature: 17 to 18 degrees C / 63 to 65 degrees F

VARIETAL MIX: Cabernet Sauvignon

ALCOHOL: 13.6%

GI: Central Ranges (Rylstone), NSW, Australia