TASTING NOTES
Is Hilltops the Coonawarra of New South Wales? You'd be harder pressed to find
vineyards in redder soil. The core elements of great Cabernet are there:
extended ripening period leading to well defined Cabernet aromatics, balanced
palate structure especially, ripe tannins.
The 2006 Cabernet shows plenty of ripe fruit: blackberry, liquorice and
cassis flavours along with an echo of an autumn herb garden;
medium to full palate structure. There is complexity here. A couple of years
in a cool cellar would be handy.
Viticulturist - Brian Mullany
Winemaker - Tim Kirk
Vine age - 1990
Harvest date - 22/3/06
Tonnes per Hectare - 7.5
Soil Profile: Red clay podsolic over granite base
Clone: SH 125 Own Rooted
Vine Source: Premier Nurseries
Trellising - VSP with 1 fixed foliage wire
Bunch thinning - No
Alc/Vol: 15.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Oak - 15% New French Puncheons 10% new French Hogsheads
75% Seasoned American Hogsheads
Time in oak - 12 Months
Fermentation - 8 Days on skins in open fermenter, pumped over twice a day,
racked, pressed then transferred to oak.
AWARDS
Blue/Gold - 2007 Sydney International Wine Competition
Silver - 2008 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards
Bronze - 2007 Boutique Wines of Australia Awards
