Yarra Yering Dry Red No.1 2020

The first plantings into block No. 1 were these Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and the name was born. Malbec was also part of the original 1969 plantings. Merlot vines were originally interplanted with Cabernet, with subsequent plantings in 1990 along with Petit Verdot.

Hand-harvested and sorted, only the best berries make the cut. Cabernet is crushed for structure, while Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot undergo whole berry fermentation for fragrance and weight. All fermented in half-tonne fermenters and hand plunged twice daily, one third of the Cabernet spending extended time on skins for complexity and to build the savoury edge. Matured 15 months in French oak barriques, 40% new.