Vintage in Orange was cold, with temperatures never rising above 29degrees. As a result, the harvest was pushed back to April which meant lessstress on the vines and sunburn to the grapes. The slow ripening of grapesduring autumn added wonderful aromas and flavours to the wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon produced by Cael's Gate is aged in new premiumFrench oak barrels. Offering purity and finesse, this wine is beautifullyfragrant on the nose with cassis, blueberry, violet, thyme and toasted nutaromas that lead to a succulent palate displaying excellent weight and persistency. Wonderfully structured by beautifully infused chalky tannins, finishing sturdy and lingering on the palate.

The Riverina region was largely unafected by the heavy rainfall experiencedby other parts of New South Wales and this allowed Cael’s Gate to continueproducing their highly sought-after single vineyard wines. The cool night and warm days were the perfect growing environment for ripening grapes and thelack of disease and high sugar content contributed to a perfect harvest. The Cabernet Sauvignon produced by Cael’s Gate is aged in new premiumFrench oak barrels. The wine is beautifully fruited with a complexity of favoursdisplaying black currant, spiced cherry, thyme and cedar notes to tantalise thenose. The palate delivers a succulent fruit intensity and a supple mouthfeelthat is well supported by chalky tannins. The finishing notes are persistent andabundantly flavoursome.

One of the benchmark wines of the Hunter Valley, Lake’s Folly Cabernet blend is an elegant perfumed style displaying violet, blackcurrant, earthy characters, fine-grained tannins and underlying savoury oak. The wine is open fermented followed by maturation in 300 gallon casks for six months followed by 12 months maturation in an equal combination of new, one and two year old French oak barriques.