Acclaimed winemaker Virginia Wilcox of Vasse Felix assesses “Most great Cabernet in the world is grown with a maritime influence, close to the sea where you have that breeze. But Margaret River also has a Mediterranean climate where we have that warm dry summer and a beautiful long dry season. We’re not under pressure to harvest our grapes early because of rain, because of disease, because of rot; all the things that winemakers are under pressure to harvest for. The beautiful sea breeze is what buys us weeks of ripening. It keeps the berries in tact and means they come in as a perfect round berry without any shrivel, without any issues, so you end up with a beautiful soft tannin ripened until the end of the season where the tannin profile is perfect”. Hence experts and collectors rank Western Australia’s Cabernet Sauvignon among the top echelon with Bordeaux, Napa, Bolgheri, Maipo Valley and even maybe Waiheke Island.
Larry Cherubino first cut his teeth with Houghton in the corporate environment, before embarking on his own. The region of Frankland is where is heart is, about 300km inland from the coast, a lesser known region, allowing for a darker inkier wine than famous Margaret River. From the small beginnings this dynamo amassed over 120 hectares and makes an abundance of wine styles and ranges. One can say he is one of the most acclaimed winemakers in Australia today.
It is not by chance that his wines rank with the best in value and top prizes. According to the The Sydney Morning Herald “The ratings don’t lie… 20 of his 27 wines tasted for Halliday’s 2016 Wine Companion received the ‘value’ symbol, signifying wines of extremely high value for their price, while 12 were rated between 95 and 98 points. Extraordinary.”
His Pedestal range intends to offer upfront fruit, set in nice frame with some wood and soft tannin. Despite being one of the greatest values out of Western Australia, you can cellar this wine up to ten years.
We urge you to enjoy it with your next steak – grilled or smoked; a classical Cabernet Merlot with telltale perfume of blackcurrant, aroma of cedar, chocolate and bay leaf.
94 Points – James Halliday’s Wine Companion
Great post 😁