St Hubert's Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

The St Huberts vineyard contains some of the oldest Cabernet vines in the Yarra Valley, with plantings dating back to the 1960s. For the Cabernet Sauvignon, individual vineyard parcels were fermented in a range of fermentation vessels in order to enhance the differing flavour and tannin profiles of the fruit. The parcels were pressed off separately and racked into a high proportion of new French oak and seasoned French oak to develop further depth and complexity.

The aim of the winemaking is to produce a wine true to the regional style while highlighting Cabernet Sauvignon varietal characters.

Hubert de Castella's passion for the Yarra Valley saw him establish St Huberts in 1862. By the late 1800s it had grown to be the largest estate in the area. The wines enjoyed immediate and on-going success at wine shows both domestically and abroad. The onset of the Great Depression, the increasing popularity of fortified wine and the emerging profitability of dairy farming saw the vineyard revert to grazing in the 1920s. It wasn't until the 1960s that the Yarra Valley again rose to prominence as a wine region and St Huberts was once again one of the pioneers.

The core (over two thirds) of the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from St Huberts vineyard Block 4. In addition, fruit parcels were sourced primarily from vineyard sites on the Yarra Valley flats - these sites provide the warmth required to produce rich and flavoursome wines. Individual vineyard parcels were fermented in open vats and closed statics in order to create complexity and differing flavour and tannin profiles. These parcels were pressed off and racked into French oak to develop further depth and complexity. Our aim is to produce a wine true to the regional style while highlighting Cabernet Sauvignon's varietal characters.