The Reserve range continues to be the best of what we are able to produce in a given vintage – single vineyard or otherwise. Approximately 70% of the Cabernet is from the, dry-grown, Victory Point vineyard which is situated in the subregion of Treeton. The remaining 30% consists of fruit from mature vineyards from the Wallcliffe (including estate grown fruit) and Wilyabrup, subregions.
Colour: Deep red with garnet hues
Nose: The perfume is intense and complex, exhibiting ripe mulberries, blackcurrant pastilles and dark plums, with the aromas of rose petal, cedar, and cinnamon bustling away in the background.
Palate: The generous palate is full bodied and crammed full of dark forest fruits, cassis, and chocolate characters. Powerful yet refined in structure with fleshy fruits complimented by dense, velvety tannins. Quintessential, with a lingering Cabernet finish.
Winemaking Notes
Fruit was crushed/destemmed before predominantly small batch fermentation in a combination of static and open fermenters Fermentation takes 7-8 days at 24 – 26°C during which the cap is managed using a combination of aerative pumping over as well as regular plunging by hand. After fermentation, 30% of the components experienced a period of extended maceration on skins before a very gentle pressing. The wine was matured for 14 months in French oak (45% new barriques) before the blend was assembled.
REVIEWS
Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot > 99 points
This is probably the finest cabernet yet released from Xanadu. It’s a blend of mostly cabernet with small amounts of malbec and petit verdot. It’s a powerhouse loaded with concentrated dark fruit and supported with typically chalky tannins and a decent hit of oak, of which 45% was new French. It’s dense and engaging, yet there is that life and energy that stamps these wines with another dimension. Has many years ahead of it.
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot > 96 points
Xanadu’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is up there with the best of them. This is such a fine release. It’s bold and powerful but it’s also a long, long way from being thick or overdone. Cabernet has such a natural authority that it doesn’t need to be pushed. Pure blackcurrant, a creaminess to the mouthfeel, redcurrant, bay leaf and gravel notes, a healthy turn of tannin, and wonderful length. It feels composed; it feels superior. Its elegance is matched only by its persistence.