Crittenden Estate 2005 'Cut Cane' Cabernet

Fruit

The grapes for this wine are 100% estate grown on our property at 25 Harrisons Rd Dromana. This is a 100% Mornington Peninsula wine.

Harvest

The majority were picked around the middle of April 2005, the balance (approximately 25%) was picked in early May after a natural “appasimento” on the vine brought about by cutting the fruiting cordons, ie the fruit was partly dried, or allowed to dehydrate, on the vine.

Winemaking

In both harvests the grapes were destemmed without crushing to open fermenters and immediately inoculated with a cultured yeast. The fermenters were hand plunged and also pumped over. At “dryness” the wine was drained to a mixture of new and second use French Barriques (225 litres) where the malolactic ferment took place. The remaining wine was pressed off skins to barrel as well. The wine was stored in these barrels with occasional barrel to barrel rackings for clarification. Sulphur dioxide additions were made once the malolactic fermentation was complete. In November 2007 the wine was assembled in tank for filtering in preparation for bottling.

Bottling

Mid December 2007. Sealed under screw cap.

Technical Information

Alc. Vol.13.5%

Residual sugar: <2gms per litre (dry)

Ph: 3.37

Total acidity: 7.35grams per litre

Personal tasting notes by Garry Crittenden

This is another gem in the long line of Cabernets that have come off our property. At a recent retrospective tasting going back to the 1984 vintage there was not one wine that embarrassed me; naturally some vintages were better than others. This wine has a component of fruit allowed to partially “dry” on the vine. This brings a subtle “amorone” character to the wine which blends most harmoniously with the briary notes that our vines always seem to deliver.

Cellaring

Enjoy now or cellar until 2015 for peak maturity.