Lake House Premium Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Tasting Notes

• Appearance:
  Dense inky red with a vibrant purple hue.

• Aroma:
  Classic Cabernet – black fruits, cigar box spice, hints of mint, and leafy complexity.

• Palate:
  Plush and powerful. Dark fruits meet dark chocolate, subtle red lift, and a toasty finish. Velvety tannins and spicy French oak complete the package.

🔬 Winemaking

• Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

• Vinification: Cold-soaked for 5 days; 3 weeks skin contact post-fermentation for maximum colour and tannin integration.

• Maturation: 18 months in French and American barriques (50% new).

• Alcohol: 14.5%

• pH: 3.61

• Acidity: 5.8 g/L

• Residual Sugar: 0.8 g/L

🍽️ Food Matches

• Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary

• Black Angus ribeye with chimichurri

• Dark chocolate and berry tart

• Aged cheddar or Gruyère

📦 Cellaring & Service

• Drink Now–2034

• Decant for 2 hours.

• Serve at 16–18°C

What the Critics Say

Ray Jordan – Wine Pilot

“Has that cool lithe elegance of Frankland River… smoky black olive, spicy dark chocolate and cool mint… a wrap of minerally tannins and oak.”
★★★★★ 94 Points

Ken Gargett – Wine Pilot

“Tobacco leaves, beefstock, black fruits… taut, poised, fresh and youthful… This is a ten-year proposition.”
★★★★★ 94 Points

🍷 Understanding FAQ Wine Terms

1. Tannins
Tannins are natural compounds found in grape skins, seeds, and stems. They give red wines that dry, puckering sensation in your mouth, similar to the feeling you get from drinking strong black tea. Tannins add structure to wine and can help it age well. In this wine, the extended skin contact during fermentation and 18 months of oak maturation contribute to its firm yet velvety tannin profile, providing both structure and aging potential.

2. Acidity
Acidity refers to the tartness or crispness in wine. It’s what makes your mouth water and gives wine a refreshing quality. The Lake House Cabernet Sauvignon has an acidity of 5.8 g/L, which balances its rich fruit flavours and contributes to its freshness and longevity.

3. Body
This describes how heavy or light a wine feels in your mouth. Think of it like the difference between skim milk (light-bodied), whole milk (medium-bodied), and cream (full-bodied). With an alcohol content of 14.5%, this wine is full-bodied, offering a rich and robust mouthfeel.

4. Dry
A dry wine has little to no residual sugar, meaning it’s not sweet. Most table wines are dry, even if they have fruity flavours. This Cabernet Sauvignon has a residual sugar of 0.8 g/L, classifying it as dry and allowing its fruit and oak characteristics to shine without sweetness.

5. Finish
This refers to the aftertaste or the length of time the wine’s flavours linger in your mouth after swallowing. A long finish is often a sign of a high-quality wine. The wine’s complex mid-palate of chocolate and velvety tannins leads to a long toasty finish with hints of vibrant red fruits, indicating its high quality.

6. Bouquet
While “aroma” refers to the smells from the grapes themselves, “bouquet” describes the complex scents that develop as wine ages, like vanilla, spice, or earthy notes. This wine exhibits aromas of black fruits, spice, cigar, and leafy hints of mint, showcasing its developing bouquet from aging.

7. Decanting
This is the process of pouring wine into another container to separate it from any sediment and to allow it to breathe. Letting a wine breathe can enhance its flavours and aromas. Decanting this wine can help soften its tannins and enhance its aromatic profile, especially if consumed young.

8. Varietal
This term refers to the type of grape used to make the wine, such as Chardonnay or Merlot. A varietal wine is made primarily from one type of grape. This is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, showcasing the characteristics typical of this grape variety.

9. Vintage
The vintage indicates the year the grapes were harvested. Weather conditions during that year can affect the taste and quality of the wine. The 2020 vintage experienced a challenging growing season, but careful vineyard management led to high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

10. Terroir
A French term that encompasses the environmental factors where the grapes are grown, including soil, climate, and topography. Terroir influences the wine’s character and flavour. The wine’s vineyard in Frankland River, with its iron-stone base gravels and duplex sandy loams, contributes to the wine’s structure and flavour profile.