2022 Cabernets di Renzo

The 2022 Cabernet di Renzo is a good old fashioned blend of a number of different parcels of grapes from Orange, Bathurst and O’connell. The main constituent is Cabernet Franc from the Boreelane vineyard which is owned by Phillip Shaw these days which we fermented with a small proportion of whole bunches and held on skins for around a month before pressing to old oak. There is also some Cabernet from Canobolas Wines and Merlot which came from the Carillion Vineyard- across the fence from Boreelane which we co fermented with Cabernet Sauvignon from Gordon Hills which is around a kilometre back towards Orange from the other 2 sites and is today owned and managed by Gilbert Family Wines and Nick Lander. After what we thought was going to be nightmare Bordeaux varietal conditions in Orange mid-way through the growing season the weather gods had a change of tact and delivered us a swathe of excellent fruit from these vineyards. The final component in the blend is Cabernet and Merlot from Bella Luna which we fermented as whole berries and matured in old oak. Once all of those components were brought together we bottled the wine without any fining or filtration and light sulphur addition in February 2023. 

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Alcohol:            13 %

PH:                   3.61

Total made:      240 dozen

TASTING NOTES

A blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot all from Orange. There’s a herbaceous perfume with raspberries and green peppercorns, fennel and cranberries and a lick of smoked paprika alongside bright red fruit aromas. Tomatoes on the vine, red plums, and sour cherries in the mouth. The wine is a delicate and inviting expression of grapes that are often made in a much heavier style.

91 Points- Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front