2016 Fontaine Cabernet Sauvignon

$22

Grapes come from a range of warmer vineyards in the northern and southern end of the Yarra Valley. Soils are rocky and hungry, with a clay base and lots of broken sandstone. These north-facing sites are excellent for Cabernet that has clear, juicy, concentrated fruit with soft, silky tannins.

The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Malbec and a dash of Petit Verdot. We picked and sorted all varieties by hand. We de-stemmed the grapes and gently crushed them before fermenting them at relatively cool temperatures toaccentuate the beautiful aromatics of the Cabernet. The wine stayed on skins forthree weeks, during which time colour and tannins were gently extracted. We then gave the wine 11 months to mature in French oak barrels, 20% of which were new.We bottled it in January 2017.

Juicy and fresh-faced Cabernet with redcurrant, cherry and hazelnut chocolate. Medium bodied, soft and silky, with gently sweet fruit, a little nutty oak, attractive open-weave tannin, and a cherry marzipan aftertaste. Have to say I like drinking this.   

90 points. Gary Walsh, Winefront