Released only in exceptional years, Jacaranda Ridge is a blend of individual Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignons from at least four different vineyards, providing the winemaker with flexibility to produce a consistent style with intense berry-like characters and a firm, tight tannin finish. The wine is normally aged in new French oak for 18 months to two years.

The world-class quality of Jacaranda Ridge was recognised in 1988 with the release of the inaugural 1982 vintage. The wine won the Tucker Seabrook Caon Trophy for the best show wine of the year in Sydney.

The 1987 vintage was judged the Best Red Wine of the 1990 Adelaide Wine Show, and the 1991 vintage won the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Style Trophy at the 1997 International Wine Challenge in London.

COLOUR
Vibrant crimson red.

BOUQUET
Lifted, youthful and intensely varietal. Strong blackberry & mint aromas are complexed with spicy oak.

PALATE
This is a powerful and tightly structured wine. Rich, ripe cassis and black fruit flavours are supported by a defined and refined tannin structure. A masculine wine, displaying exceptional definition, balance and integration.

ASSESSMENT
An iconic example of a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. Still youthful on release, this wine will reward the patient by revealing its true potential over the next 10 to 15 years. Expect to see the black fruits and cassis hold their presence over the years.

For best results decant before serving

VINTAGE CONDITIONS
Rainfall in the lower southeast was much closer to the average than was the case for many other parts of the country. Seasonal conditions favoured Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. This late ripening variety avoided the high winds at flowering, the heat of Summer and the rain early in Autumn to provide a small crop of highly flavoured Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

WINEMAKING
The grapes for the 2003 Jacaranda Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon were sourced from the best Coonawarra vineyard sites, picked at optimum flavour ripeness following repeated vineyard inspections by the winemakers. Each individual vineyard parcel was destemed into small static fermenters and inoculated with a neutral yeast strain to maximise the expression of varietal Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. The ferments were maintained at moderate temperatures ranging from 15-26 degrees Celsius for a period of 22 days to maximise colour, flavour and tannin extraction.

Individual vineyard parcels were aged separately in new French oak Hogsheads from selected coopers for 19 months in our temperature controlled cellars. Rigorous selection of the individual barrels was carried out, using only those of the highest standard in the “interim blend”.

These selected barrels were combined, with the wine returned to a mixture of new and one year old French oak barrels for a further four months. This interim blending provides seamless integration of the wines intrinsic characteristics well before the wine is bottled.