Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz

Notes - In late 2002 Tapanappa assumed control of the 27 year-old Koppamurra Vineyard in Wrattonbully just north of Coonawarra. The vineyard was renamed as the Whalebone Vineyard. The foliage of the old vines was retrained into a vertical canopy and the crop level was reduced to a meagre 3 tonnes/hectare. The deep-rooted old vines of the Whalebone Vineyard rely on the natural rainfall and the moisture reserves in the marly clay of the Terra Rossa soil and the deep porous limestone upon which it is formed. In the 2003 vintage those reserves were sorely tested as the first four months of the growing season were nearly 20% hotter than the long-term average. Then autumn came early. The critical ripening months of February, March and April were dry, sunny and nearly 20% cooler than average. The fruit ripened with deep colour and the freshness of flavour and acid only conferred by a long cool ripening period.The Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) was hand picked at the same time as the Shiraz (20%) and Cabernet Franc (10%) in the second week of April. “This is one of the most elegant reds I've had from Australia, with ripe, perfumed, cassis, but less eucalyptus mint seen in wines of nearby Coonawarra. Decant it and the initial fruit gives way to even more complexity than first promised.” 2010 Robert Joseph’s Personal Choice, Wine Magazine, Drink 2005 - Rating 91 points
 
     

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