Past Vintages

Technical Details

"Deep colour; a wine that perfectly illustrates the synergy between the maritime climate of McLaren Vale and cabernet sauvignon; while it has all the depth and power of the variety at its best, there is an elegance, a lightness of touch, an effortless purity to the wine, and a seemingly endless length to the finish of the palate. Drink by 2042. 97 pts."

Reprinted with permission from the 2015 James Halliday Australian Wine Companion

"A dramatic rendition of Cabernet, it's impressively ripe and gloriously powerful with blackberry, dark chocolate, mixed spice and vanillin oak characters, Delectable, sumptuous and abundant."

Judges notes, Champion's List, 2015 New Zealand International Wine Show

WINEMAKING:

In a small niche of the John Petrucci vineyard the soil, climate and Cabernet Sauvignon combine to create something special - the fruit that is ultimately hand crafted to become D Block Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Gentle hand working of the skins in small, 5 tonne open fermenters and traditional winemaking practices protect and nurture the unique qualities of the terroir. Very fine grained French oak hogsheads are used to allow a long, slow maturation of the wine and subtle oak integration. A combination of 1 - 6 year old barrels, crafted by select coopers to our requirements, are used to create nuances and diversity of flavour. When maturation and oak integration are perfect, individual barrels are selected and blended to create the fruit power, complexity and harmonious balance that is Shingleback D Block Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tasting Note:

Deep red. Alluring aromas of blackcurrant, with notes of cocoa bean and cedary oak entice. The rich cassis flavours are focused by fine, satiny tannins and linger on the finish, with just a hint of bay leaf. A full-bodied, textured Cabernet Sauvignon that expresses the synergy of this noble variety, the terroir and my personal winemaking philosophy.                                                                          

Awards:

• BLUE GOLD MEDAL - 2015 Sydney International Wine Competition
• GOLD MEDAL - 2014 Mundus Vini International Wine Awards, Germany
• GOLD MEDAL - 2013 Royal Melbourne Wine Show, class 45
• GOLD MEDAL - 2014 Selections Mondiales des Vins, Canada
• GOLD MEDAL - 2014 Concours International des Cabernets, France
• GOLD MEDAL - 2015 Royal Queensland Wine Show, class 42
• GOLD MEDAL - 2015 NZ International Wine Show, class 15a
• GOLD MEDAL - 2015 Royal Adelaide Wine Show, class 26
• GOLD MEDAL - 2015 International Wine Challenge, Vienna
• SILVER MEDAL - 2015 National Wine Show of Australia, class 21
• SILVER MEDAL— 2013 International Wine Challenge, UK
• SILVER MEDAL - 2013 Royal Hobart Wine Show, class 46
• SILVER MEDAL - 2014 Royal Queensland Wine Show, class 41
• SILVER MEDAL - 2014 International Wine Challenge, Vienna
• SILVER MEDAL - 2014 Royal Adelaide Wine Show, class 25
• SILVER MEDAL - 2014 International Wine & Spirit Competition, UK
• SILVER MEDAL - 2015 Spiegelau International Wine Competition, NZ
• SILVER MEDAL - 2015 Melbourne International Wine Competition
• SILVER MEDAL - 2015 Perth Royal Wine Show, class 33
• SILVER MEDAL - 2015 Royal Melbourne Wine awards, class 48
• 97 pts—2015 James Halliday Australian Wine Companion