1998 St. Huberts Cabernet Sauvignon

1998 was an excellent vintage in the Yarra Valley, and the St. Huberts wines certainly reflect the year.Outstanding crimson purple colour with mauve edges. Delightful nose of cedar, violets and blackcurrants, followed by a hint of liquorice and spice end notes. The palate is designed for the long haul, being relatively tightly knit. Bordeaux like structure drier than many contemporary Australian wines, with flavours of blackcurrant, liquorice and plums which run through to the aftertaste. Fine grained tannin structure. Cellar 5-6 years. LAST STOCKS!!

Wineries notes: St Huberts was the forerunner in the revival of the Yarra Valley as a premium grape growing region. The St Huberts vineyard was planted in 1966 and re-worked in 1992 to concentrate on the premium varieties that are now included in this prestigious range.The 1998 vintage was excellent with controlled yields and ideal ripening conditions. Both Scott Henry and Hanging Cane trellis systems are used at St Huberts for Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit was sourced from the Coldstream sub-region, with the majority coming off the St Huberts estate vineyards in the heart of the Yarra Valley - from vines over 30 years old. The vines are on red grey loam soils that produce a low crop of intensely flavoured fruit. Fruit was picked at maximum ripeness then fermented in vinomatics and static fementers prior to fermentation and maturation in 100% new and seasoned French oak barriques. Oak maturation was for 14 months prior to bottling in August 1999.Tasting Notes: The Cabernet Sauvignon from St Huberts has a proud and well deserved reputation as one of the finest in the Yarra Valley. The wine is made utilising modern techniques with an eye to history and tradition of St Huberts. The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits ripe cool climate fruit characters of blackberry/wild berries with spice, especially nutmeg, and floral violet notes. The palate is full bodied with rich, varietal fruit and nuances of briar and liquorice, fine grained tannins and a balanced structure that is fully integrated through barrel fermentation and maturation in new and seasoned French oak. Cellar up to 8 years. 12.7% alcohol volume.