Description
Mount Horrocks Wines is operated by proprietor/winemaker Stephanie Toole, who restricts production to approximately 3,500 cases per annum in order to achieve her aims of quality and single vineyard expression. All three estate-owned Clare Valley vineyards, totalling ten hectares, are ‘A certified’ by Australian Certified Organic (ACO). James Halliday says “Stephanie Toole has never deviated from the pursuit of excellence in the vineyard and winery. She has three vineyard sites in the Clare Valley, each managed using natural farming and organic practices. The attention to detail and refusal to cut corners is obvious in all her wines. 5 Red Star Winery”
Stephanie carefully crafts “essentially hand-made food wines with emphasis on structure as well as generous fruit flavours”. Only estate grown grapes are used and these are hand-picked and gently handled under conditions that ensure the varietal and site-specific flavours in the resultant wine, as well as its organic status, are retained. As no finings have been found necessary the wines are all suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Only the finest French oak barriques are used for those wines spending time in barrel.
About this wine: Stephanie hand-picks her cabernet (and all her other grapes) to ensure the fruit’s pristine condition on arrival at the winery. After cold soaking, the ferment is gently plunged 3-4 times a day. The wine then spends 18 months maturation exclusively in French barriques, 35% of which are new. This may be described as ‘text book cabernet’ except that hand-working and harvesting cabernet vineyards, as Stephanie does, is becoming rare. Here, the benefits are clear.
Lovely depth and brilliance in the glass. Clearly Cabernet, red and black currant fruits, spiced cherry and dark chocolate/cocoa. There’s a lovely touch of savoury briar character, seamlessly integrated oak (18 months in 35% new, French barriques) and long, supple, fine tannins. Tremendous structure and length. Cellar 15 years plus.
95 Points, Huon Hooke – The Real Review “Deep-ish red with a good bright tint of purple and the bouquet is all about mulberry, cassis, blackberry—sweetly ripe fruit without any greener touches. It’s also deliciously sweet and fruit-ripe on the tongue, with charming fruit flavours of berries and a hint of cola or sarsaparilla, the tannins supplying excellent structure and adding to the very long aftertaste. An outstanding cabernet. Long cellaring potential but it’s also delicious to drink young.”
RRP $61 Our Special Buy $52.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
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