Cabernet Merlot 2017

This wine is a classic Margaret River blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. It has a rich bouquet combining blackcurrant and capsicum aromas. The palate is medium to full-bodied with cassis and blueberry flavours enhanced by cedary oak. The dusty tannins and finely balanced acidity not only give the wine great structure and palate length but also provide a cellaring potential of eight to ten years.

Winemaker's Notes

Woody Nook Wines Cabernet Merlot 2017 was made from three separately fermented parcels of Estate grown fruit; 7.69 tonne of Joliffe Block Cabernet Sauvignon machine-harvested on the 20^th  April, 2017 at 13.8° baumé, 1.71 tonne of Gallagher Block Merlot hand-picked on the 3^rd March, 2017 at 12.0° baumé and 3.2 tonne of Joliffe Block Merlot hand-picked on the 30^th March, 2017 at 12.5° baumé. The Cabernet was inoculated with Rubino Extra yeast and fermented on skins for six days in two separate open fermenters with twice daily pump overs before pressing to tank and barrel to complete malo-lactic fermentation (MLF) then maturation in 24 barriques, a combination of second-use French & Hungarian oak for eighteen months. The Merlot was inoculated with ES488 yeast and fermented on skins for eight days in open fermenters with twice daily pump overs before pressing to tank for MLF then maturation in 15 barriques (13% new Kadar Hungarian oak), the balance French oak for eighteen months. The wines were then filtered, blended and bottled (unfined) in December 2018.

815 cases were produced.