Hardly anyone was planting Cabernet in the Barossa when the Angas family was establishing their vineyards in the 1960s, so it’s no surprise it took until the late 1990s for the variety to find its way onto Hutton Vale Farm. Whilst it may have been a late starter, the quality of the fruit grown there suggests it has a long future in this part of the world.

The Cabernet block was planted in 1998 on a sloping five acre site, where the lean and tough environment dictates low yields – even by Hutton Vale Farm standards…frequently less than a tonne to the acre.

Immediately following harvest, the fruit was transferred to open fermenters, fermented cool for 8 days on skins, manually pumped over twice a day for 45 minutes each time, drained and pressed to tank to ferment to dryness. Malolactic fermentation was completed in French Oak barriques (35% new) with maturation for 26 months. A further 20 months in bottle saw them finally ready for release.