Name: Sussex Squire Samuel Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
SKU: 244
Price: 40.00 AUD
Availability: InStock

Sussex Squire Samuel Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

$40.00

Cabernet Sauvignon dry grown in a small 2.3 ac vineyard in the Armagh area of the Clare Valley. A interesting vineyard that produces lovely cabernet fruit with overt black fruit flavours of black currant and black cherry notes. Hand-picked and then de-stemmed and pumped into 1.5 tonne open fermenters. Hand plunged daily and left on skins for 10 days and drained through the basket pressed to controlled tannin. Unfiltered through malo fermentation and then the wine is racked off and then stored in old and new French oak barrels for 12 months.

Aged in 40% new and 60% old French Oak barrels for 12 months.

Intense dark fruit profile of blackberry, black cherry, cassis, spice and chocolate on the palate with a soft lingering tannin to finish.

Food Match: Slow cooked Lamb Shoulder

CELLARING: Drink Now or Cellar 5-10+yrs

Released June 20th 2023 – Only 170 dozen produced

pH – 3.48

TA – 6.88

Alc – 14.5%

This vineyard is dry grown and has suffered from the very dry conditions in 2018 and 2019 and we only produced 1 ton of fruit in those years. Those small parcels of wine showed amazing t depth and intensity and were reserved for our JRS Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 & 2019 where they aged for 2 years in new French oak. In 2020 all the fruit was lost to frost in October 2019 and no wine was produced in that year. 2021 Vintage was excellent with over 2 ton picked and was one of the stand out varieties of 2021 and is now sold out. The 2022 Cabernet is another stand out vintage from this vineyard and again shows beautiful fruit and elegance and I am looking forward to the 2022 following the high quality and intensity of the 2021 vintage. Ready for release in June 2023.

2022 Vintage Award

BRONZE Medal – Halliday Cabernet Challenge 2023

BRONZE Medal – Adelaide Wine Show 2023

SILVER Medal – Clare Regional Wine Show 2023 (equal top in class)

HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION 2020

Samuel Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 – Hand-picked, destemmed, 12 days on skins, lightly basket-pressed, matured in French oak (20% new), 210 dozen made. Continues the style and quality of the ’17 Sussex Squire wines, cassis in abundance, rare in the Clare Valley and closer to cool-grown cabernet. A striking wine in the context of the Clare Valley. Halliday – 94pts (James Halliday)

Drink by 2032

Previous Vintages

2016 Samuel Block Cabernet Sauvignon – Double Trophy – Best Dry Red Wine – Clare Wine Show 2017 & Best Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Description

The many hidden secrets of the Clare Valley is Cabernet Sauvignon. The climate of the Clare Valley allows for long slow ripening conditions with dry warm to hot conditions through to April. This allows the later ripening varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon to gain full ripeness and to develop lovely black fruit notes and mid palate complexity. These conditions are perfect for our Samuel Block Cabernet fruit which is sourced from a small 2.3 ac dry grown vineyard in the Armagh area of the Clare Valley. The vineyard has a unique personality that produces lovely cabernet fruit with overt black fruit flavours of black currant and black cherry notes.

Fermented in 5ton open fermenters and with pump overs to help develop colour and extraction from skins while keeping the cap moist. Left on skins for 9-11days and then the skins are drained through a basket press with out pressing to reduce seed tannin bitterness. The wine is pumped into tank to go through malo fermentation and then the wine is racked off and then stored in old and new French oak barrels for 12 months.

Aged in 40% new and 60% old French Oak barrels for 12 months.

Intense dark fruit profile of blackberry, black cherry, cassis, spice and chocolate on the palate with a soft lingering tannin to finish.

Food Match: Slow cooked Lamb Shoulder

CELLARING: Drink Now or Cellar 5-10+yrs

Released June 20th 2023 – Only 170 dozen produced

pH – 3.48

TA – 6.88

Alc – 14.5%

Awards

Halliday Wine Companion 2019

Hand-picked, destemmed, 12 days on skins, lightly basket-pressed, matured in French oak (20% new), 210 dozen made. Continues the style and quality of the ’17 Sussex Squire wines, cassis in abundance, rare in the Clare Valley and closer to cool-grown cabernet. A striking wine in the context of the Clare Valley.

Drink by 2032

AWARDS – 2016 Vintage

2 Trophies – Clare Valley Wine Show Oct 2017

Gold Medal – Clare Valley Wine Show Oct 2017

Silver Medal – Aust Small Winemakers Show Oct 2017

HALLIDAY – 93PTS

REVIEW – The Wine Front – Campbell Mattinson

Single vineyard. All French oak, 20% new. 150 dozen produced.

Quite captivating. It’s not so much the depth as the flavour profile. Boysenberry and sweet herbs, port wine jelly and toast. Mint. It’s a succulent cabernet, free flowing, a gentle breeze blowing through its hair. Drinkability factor is high. So too distinctiveness.