2018 Sandalford Prendiville Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine is intense and complex. Like the nose, it will keep evolving in the glass as you’re enjoying it. Blackberries and sweet blueberries are in abundance with the same savoury flavours combining with spice notes, especially cinnamon and nutmeg. The French oak adds a lovely layer of cedar, mocha and vanilla. The tannins are powerful, yet very fine grain and soft. Underneath there is a refreshing acid balance, which combine with the tannins to give this wine a beautifully textured line through the palate and gives length on the finish so the wonderful flavours linger on. With 70% new French oak, this wine is just a baby and whilst drinking beautifully now, with careful cellar maturation for 15 year or more, this limited release of the Prendiville Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon will certainly reward the patient.
Winemaker comments
Winemaker Notes
After destemming and crushing, this select parcel of hand-picked Cabernet grapes was inoculated with a selected yeast strain and fermented in small five tonne open fermenters. The traditional method of pumping over was done by hand, twice daily during fermentation to optimise colour, flavour and tannin extraction from the fermenting must. At the end of ferment, the wine was pressed off skins and transferred to French oak barrels. After twelve months of barrel maturation, only the best fifteen barriques were put aside for this release of the Prendiville Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Each bottle is individually numbered.
Meet the maker
Growing up on a wheat and sheep farm is not your traditional start to a winemaking career. However, it was driving through the Swan Valley on the way to Perth that started my interest in grapes. They...
Continue Reading > were always beautiful and green quite a contrast to the dry and dusty terrain from the farm. During my final year of studies at the University of Adelaide, I commenced working at Petaluma in the Adelaide Hills, and this seeded my love of Riesling. After 18 months, I decided to explore the world of wine and for the next several years was a flying winemaker, working alternate vintages in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In the north, this took me to France (Languedoc, Cognac & a couple of days in Bordeaux) and many times to Oregon, USA. This is where my love of Pinot was born. Back in Australia, I also explored Margaret River, Geographe, Clare Valley, SA and Macedon Ranges, Vic. In January 2007, coming back to WA, I joined Sandalford as Winemaker and in December 2012, was offered the Senior Winemaker position. To talk about my winemaking philosophy, is to first understand the vineyards. My role is to let the grapes shine and ensure they reflect the vineyard site they're from. The fruit source for all of our wines, are paramount to their success, and I'm incredibly lucky to have one of the oldest vineyards in Margaret River to work with.
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Continue Reading > were always beautiful and green quite a contrast to the dry and dusty terrain from the farm. During my final year of studies at the University of Adelaide, I commenced working at Petaluma in the Adelaide Hills, and this seeded my love of Riesling. After 18 months, I decided to explore the world of wine and for the next several years was a flying winemaker, working alternate vintages in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In the north, this took me to France (Languedoc, Cognac & a couple of days in Bordeaux) and many times to Oregon, USA. This is where my love of Pinot was born. Back in Australia, I also explored Margaret River, Geographe, Clare Valley, SA and Macedon Ranges, Vic. In January 2007, coming back to WA, I joined Sandalford as Winemaker and in December 2012, was offered the Senior Winemaker position. To talk about my winemaking philosophy, is to first understand the vineyards. My role is to let the grapes shine and ensure they reflect the vineyard site they're from. The fruit source for all of our wines, are paramount to their success, and I'm incredibly lucky to have one of the oldest vineyards in Margaret River to work with.
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Tasting notes
Varietals
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
Colour
Other Notes
Dark ruby red.
Nose
Production
A powerful nose that jumps out of the glass. It is complex and evolves as its given time to open up in the glass. Up front there are savoury notes of bay leaf and juniper. These open up to rich dark berries, blackberries and sweet blueberries and a hint of violets.
Palate
Tasting Note
This wine is intense and complex. Like the nose, it will keep evolving in the glass as you're enjoying it. Blackberries and sweet blueberries are in abundance with the same savoury flavours combining with spice notes, especially cinnamon and nutmeg. The French oak adds a lovely layer of cedar, mocha and vanilla. The tannins are powerful, yet very fine grain and soft. Underneath there is a refreshing acid balance, which combine with the tannins to give this wine a beautifully textured line through the palate and gives length on the finish so the wonderful flavours linger on. With 70% new French oak, this wine is just a baby and whilst drinking beautifully now, with careful cellar maturation for 15 year or more, this limited release of the Prendiville Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon will certainly reward the patient. (A harmless deposit may form in the bottle during cellar maturation and decanting is recommended prior to serving).
Vintage Conditions
Vineyard Notes
The 2018 vintage was a return to the fantastic conditions that Margaret River is known for. With a wet start to the season in winter and early spring providing a good base of ground water for the vines. November was very dry, perfectly timed with the vines going through flowering and fruit set. After rainfall in both December and mid-January, the season changed and we saw an extended dry and warm period through to the end of picking in mid-April. The maximum temperatures were consistent with long term average and the sea breeze providing the essential cool nights that Margaret River is known for. All fruit this season is of exceptional quality and showing great varietal characters.
