Sevenhill St Ignatius Cabernet Merlot Malbec Cabernet Franc 2020 (Clare Valley)

St Ignatius' army career was cut short by a ricocheting cannonball and while his shattered leg was on the mend, Ignatius developed a lifelong love of learning. His devotion to education is embedded into the psyche of the Jesuit Order today and a key reason they built a centre of learning along with the very first winery in the Clare Valley.

St Ignatius does not stray from the varietal mix and hierarchy that has given this wine such a following. The synchronicity of these varieties proves itself each vintage with only the percentage varying with each vintage.

A second year of very low winter rainfall combined with freakishly fluctuating October temperatures resulting in historically low yields across all varieties. Thankfully, the conditions during ripening were temperate which meant that the vines slowly ripen the small crop. This slow ripening was a blessing for flavour and tannin development and allowed picking decisions to be made with increased consideration.

The 2020 St Ignatius Cabernet Blend is the pinnacle cabernet-based wine produced from the old vines at Sevenhill. This release is made up of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Malbec and 9% Cabernet Franc. The varieties were fermented separately in Open Slate vats and basket pressed after 10 to 15 days on skins. Blending occurred in October 2020 and the wine was returned to 30% New French oak hogsheads for further barrel maturation. Bottled February, 2022.