Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon 100%
Region: McLaren Vale 90% & Coonawarra 10%, South Australia
Vineyard: Norm & Jane Doole’s, Norjan Vineyard, California Road, McLaren Vale.
Balnaves Vineyard, Main Road, Coonawarra
Vintage conditions: Good winter and spring rainfall in 2004 ensured an even budburst and a healthy base for the vintage ahead. A warm and dry November saw a rapid flowering period, followed by good berry set. The region experienced its coolest january in 12 years which ensured an even ripening period however this was followwed with above average temperatures in February and March resulting in an earlier than usual harvest. The fruit was machine picked in two separate batches at night, crushed and fermented in rotary fermenters before pressing off after 8 days into oak to complete primary and malo-lactic fermentation.
Technical information: The fruit was picked at 14.5�Bé, crushed and rotary fermented for six days. the juice was run off into a mix of new, one and two-year old Seguin Moreau medium-toast French oak hogsheads and barrel fermented to dryness. In a departure from our usual practice instead of adding 5-10% McLaren Vale Merlot we decided to use a small amount of Coonawarra Cabernet in the wine to provide a supple yet fine backbone of tannin and add further complexity.
Analysis: Alcohol: 14.0% TA:6.95 g/L pH:3.53 Res.Sugar 2.4 g/L VA: 0.61g/L SO2: Free 27mg/L Total: 80mg/L
Tasting Notes: Deep, rich purple with purple hue. A complex nose of ripe, sweet, dark berries, licorice, black currants and a touch of vanilla and coffee from the oak maturation.
The palate is rich and full featuring long, dark-berried and blackcurrant characters. Aged in a combination of new, second and thrid use French oak hogsheads, the oak is very well integrated leaving the wine with a firm, fine tannin finish that will soften and develop further complexity with bottle age. Our fifth release of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 will drink exceptionally well over the next 6-8 years.
Bottled: April 2007
Viticulturist: Norm Doole
Winemaker: Brian Light
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Tasting Notes - Other Vintages
2002 Dowie Doole Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 Dowie Doole Cabernet Sauvignon
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