2024 Wilyabrup Cabernet Sauvignon

COLOUR
Vibrant deep brick red.  

CELLARING POTENTIAL
The generous sweet fruit in the mid palate allows this wine to be enjoyed as a young wine; it will however be best in 2030-2035, after the chalky tannins have softened, and acid integrated. 

NOSE
The nose shows dark fruits some florals and spice with violets and perfume.

PALATE
These low yielding vines have produced a wine which is vibrant, fresh and generous with concentrated berry and blue berry flavours and a subtle savoury overtone. The palate finishes tight and together with mouth filling chewy chalky tannins, which linger and linger. 

This wine was sourced from the Wilberry vineyard in the heart of Wilyabrup, the epicentre for Margert River Cabernet sauvignon. Located to the west of the Wilyabrup sub region, this site enjoys considerable coastal influence. 

Machine picked in the early morning of March 8th, the fruit was gently decanted from picking bins to open top fermenter avoiding pumps and crushers in an effort to maximise whole berries in the fermenter. The fruit was cold soaked for 2 days before being inoculated with a cultured yeast strain. Co-inoculating with malo-lactic bacteria, ensured a clean even and complete malo-lactic fermentation. Primary fermentation temperatures were generally cool in the range 24ºC – 28ºC. Fermentation on skins was allowed to go to dryness and to macerate for 10 days before being pressed. Once sugar dry the wine was sulfured and racked to barrels. After 13 months in barrel, the barrels were emptied and allowed to rest in stainless tank before being filtered and bottled in August 2025.  

VINTAGE
2024

GI
Margaret River / Wilyabrup

WINEMAKER
Richard Rowe

PICKING
Machine picked March 8th 2024

BOTTLED
August 28th 2025

VEGAN STATUS
Vegan Certified with Vegan Australia.

Alc:% 13.9 v/v
pH: 3.39
TA: 6.49gms/litre
Malic: 0.08gms/litre
F/T SO2: 43/87ppm
Barrels: Matured in 30% new Bossuet (French oak) barriques for 12 months   

Our Cabernet sauvignon was picked March 8th, making this a very early harvest from this site.  

The 2023 winter was wet, followed by a warm and very dry spring and summer. 

Above average temperatures, no rain and ideal growing conditions resulted in an early budburst. There was no disease pressure and abundant blossom from the adjoining marri trees (Corymia calophylla) provided the Silvereye birds with plenty of nectar. This meant they left our precious grapes alone. 

Fruit ripening was even, although quicker than in other years, and the dry conditions resulted in smaller crops with concentrated aromas and flavours. 

Despite the warm season, we have produced a Cabernet that expresses distinctive Wilyabrup character, showing plum and mulberry flavours and those distinctive chalky lingering tannins.  

The Wildberry vineyard is situated on Caves Road, just north of Metricup Road. The vines are orientated North West to South East on north east facing slope.  

Wilyabrup typically has diverse soils types, which are well drained and part of the ancient granitic geology of the Leeuwin – Naturaliste Ridge. 

Planted on a top soil of loam over gravel with underlaying clay, the soil depth is variable but typically around 30cms. These soils have low water holding capacity which results in smaller canopies and lower yields. These soils provide challenging conditions for vine growth, but which yields dense flavours. 

The vineyard was planted in 2000.The site enjoys a very Mediterranean climate, with typically warm dry summers and cool wet winters.   

Approximately 1.0 km from the Indian ocean the vineyard experiences significant coastal influence which serves to provide a temperature moderating influence. 

Annual rainfall is typically in the order of 700-800mm, most of this falling between May and September.