Vasse Felix Premier Cabernet Sauvignon

Vasse Felix Premier Cabernet Sauvignon bottle image

Wine Description

The signature Cabernet Sauvignon of Vasse Felix. Crafted from Vasse Felix’s premier sections of Wilyabrup Cabernet, with the finest gravel loam soils, best clone, aspect and access to the cooling ocean breeze. It was the first red wine produced in Margaret River and has been made every year since 1972. This wine’s distinctive style possesses all the hallmarks of the finest Wilyabrup Cabernet. 

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Acclaim
“The better 2021's in Margaret River make for very good drinking. A cooler year, to be sure, yet stylistically the tannins are lean, nicely astringent and when good, the fruit is apt in the name of drinkability, over ample and concentrated. 'Luncheon claret' sort of stuff, with plenty to appreciate for the Bordeaux drinker over the obvious New World escapee. Here, a very good example. Aromas of bell pepper, dried tobacco, potpourri and red currant, over black. Mid-weighted of feel, fresh and super gulpable. Delicious wine for here and into the early mid-term.” — James Suckling, Dec 2023
“The better 2021's in Margaret River make for very good drinking. A cooler year, to be sure, yet stylistically the tannins are lean, nicely astringent and when good, the fruit is apt in the name of drinkability, over ample and concentrated. 'Luncheon claret' sort of stuff, with plenty to appreciate for the Bordeaux drinker over the obvious New World escapee. Here, a very good example. Aromas of bell pepper, dried tobacco, potpourri and red currant, over black. Mid-weighted of feel, fresh and super gulpable. Delicious wine for here and into the early mid-term.” — James Suckling, Nov 2023
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
selected sites throughout Margaret River
Soil composition
deep gravel loam soil over clay
Training method
VSP, BAL
Exposure:
Various
Year vineyard planted:
1967-2008
Harvest time:
March - late April 2017
First vintage of this wine:
1972
Average Vine Age:
10 - 51 yo
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
100% wild yeast, 98.7% whole berry and 1.3% (Petit Verdot) underwent Carbonic maceration before whole bunch fermenatation
Time on its skins:
13 - 31days
Varietal composition:
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot
Fermentation container:
Static Fermenter and open fermenter
Malolactic fermentation:
Full
Fining agent:
Egg white
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Size of aging container:
225L
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
18 months
Age of Aging Container:
48% new, 52% 1-3 year old
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Analytical Data
No relevant data were found.
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Wine Production

Our Cabernet parcels are grown in Wilyabrup, (the coastal, mid northern part of Margaret River) on ancient, well drained gravel loam soils to produce a wine of great varietal purity and character. These wonderful, often tiny, vineyard sections are individually fermented using indigenous yeasts, with many experiencing maceration periods of up to 32 days. Natural fermentation and extended maceration are coupled with traditional oxidative handling to clearly define the intricate personality of each vineyard site before blending. Portions of Malbec complement and enhance the Cabernet profile while elevated perfumes and alternative fermentation of Petit Verdot bring a bright nuance and long tannin profile.

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About the Vineyard

2017 was a cooler and later vintage than the previous 10 years; a year of elegant, perhaps slightly lighter bodied wines, though ripe in flavour, vibrant and very perfumed.With the cooler weather, canopy management and fruit thinning was imperative to mitigate disease pressures and allow for even, persistent ripening. There was a warm start to March to finish the white harvest, followed by the driest April since 1982, finishing the reds beautifully.