Attollo Organic Cabernet Sauvignon is made from select parcels of organic fruit available in the Margaret River region.  The fruit is hand tended throughout the growing season following solely organic practices.  The wine is made utilising a “hands-off” approach, with a focus on limited additions and gravity flow operations.  The vinification utilised New and Old World influences in creation of a wine with structure and depth that will provide ageability for the medium to long-term, depending on your cellaring conditions.

2013 was perfect growing season with a mild spring and warm ripening conditions throughout the growing season.  Yields were moderate at best providing for intensely flavoured fruit.  The fruit set was fairly even, providing for consistent ripe flavours and tannins at harvest.  Vintage was fairly early with an early sugar accumulation and still some green tannins.  Patience was required for ripe tannin development.  The resultant wines are of high quality with rich fruit flavours and savoury to ripe tannins.  The 2013’s were quite ripe and needed to be closely monitored in barrel and pulled out when optimum tannin maturaity reached.

The Cabernet Sauvignon for this wine was sourced from the Yallingup sub-region of the Margaret River Appellation [pretty much on the Wilyabrup boundary].  The fruit was sourced from twenty year old vines, grown using a spur pruned VSP trellis on karri loam soils.  The site is pretty low vigour and as such shoots are allowed to sprawl- providing a degree of shading which was important in 2013.  The fruit was grown Biodynamically – with minimal inputs through out the growing season.

1.849t of Biodyanmic Caves Road Yallingup Cabernet Sauvignon was hand harvested on the 19th March 2013 [Biodynamic fruit day].  The fruit was chilled over night and then destemmed and conveyed to bins for a three day cold soak.  The fruit warmed up slowly and ferment initiated naturally after this time and the ferments were plunged twice daily for the duration.  30% of the Cabernet was barrel fermented in 225L barrqiues to give a fruity structured component.  The Cabernet was left on skins for 2 to 4 weeks to build mid palate sweetness and structure through extended maceration.  Once deemed ready, the Cabernet was basket pressed to barrel, of which 20% was new French Oak [Saint Martin Troncais Grand Reserve].  The Cabernet was left to go through malolactic ferment on lees, after which a small amount of sulphur was added and it was matured on lees for 6 months before it was gravity racked off lees and blended and returned to barrel.  The final wine was blended after 17 months maturation in August 2014 and left to clarify and stabilise in stainless steel drums.  The wine was bottled with out fining or filtration on the 5th of December 2014.

It must be noted- as the wine is Organic Certified – annual audits were required at some cost- which adds to the price tag of this wine- however this guarantees it’s organic status.

pH 3.67

Titrateable Acidity [TA] 6.3g/L

Residual Sugar [RS] 0.25/L

Volatile Acidity [VA] 0.6g/l

Alcohol 13.8%

 Cases Bottled  December 2014

1100L

244 6 pack screw cap

Cellaring Best

 Best 2016-8, Maximum 2023

 Taste [30/09/13]

The wine has a deep red centre with a pink red hue.  The nose is filled with red and black fruits, olive, licorice, and candied plum characters, with hints of earth, dried herbs and spicey cedar in the background.  The palate is deliberately moderate with restraint and elegance.  The wine currently has a supple and flavorsome full palate, with lovely fine dry tannins, affording a dry finish.  The aim is to make something Intensely Subtle.