Grant Burge Cameron Vale Cabernet Sauvignon

THE FRUIT



The grapes for this wine were picked from Grant's Cameron Vale vineyard, which was planted between 1971 and 1975, in a fertile area between Lyndoch and Williamstown, with a portion sourced from the cool Eden Valley. The maturity of the vines is clearly evident in the intensity and full flavour of the wine. The 2006/2007 enjoyed a good season break however the Winter and following Spring were characterized by unseasonably dry weather and this lead to lower yields for the 2007 vintage.



THE WINEMAKING



After crushing and de-stemming, the juice was fermented on skins for seven days, with temperatures peaking at 26?C early in the fermentation, then brought down to 22?C. To add structure and colour, a quarter of the blend was left on skins for 30 days. At the end of fermentation and extended maceration, parcels of the wine were transferred to new French oak and some new American oak to completion malolactic fermentation. The entire blend was then transferred to oak to mature for 20 months.



THE COMMENTS



The 2007 Cameron Vale Cabernet is a deep purple colour with an elegant yet complex nose of intense fruits; blackberry, plums and blueberries with mint and touches of subtle dark chocolate. The palate is as intense as the nose with generous dark berry fruits, ripe plums, aromatic spices and toasted French oak. A full bodied, yet silken feeling palate with fine grained tannins and well integrated French oak; with excellent weight and persistence and a finish you will not forget in a hurry. The intense and complex characters of this wine would be a delicious match to aged beef or roasted kangaroo fillets with a saut?ed mushroom sauce and a side of steamed green beans and broccoli.