Awards ℹ️

TOP GOLD – WA Boutique and Single Vineyard Wine Show 2021

GOLD – Melbourne Royal Wine Awards 2021
GOLD – James Halliday Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge

Tasting Notes

• Colour: Deep ruby red with a vibrant, youthful hue.
• Aroma: Lifted forest berry fruits, rich cassis, dark plum, and blackcurrant with subtle hints of violets, savoury herbs, and sweet cinnamon spice.
• Palate: Medium to full-bodied, offering juicy red berries, fine-grained oak, and an angular thread of tannins that provide structure and depth. Notes of dark chocolate and mocha round out the finish, leaving a lasting impression.
• Finish: Long, silky, and beautifully balanced, with the oak adding a refined, regal quality.

Winemaking Process

• Grape Composition: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot
• Harvest: Machine harvested on April 14, 2021
• Fermentation: Gentle handling, with three pump-overs daily to enhance colour and flavour extraction.
• Oak Maturation: 14 months in French oak barrels, carefully selected to enhance the wine’s complexity.
• Winemaker: Paul Dixon

Vintage Notes

• A cool winter set up the vines for an excellent growing season.
• Mild spring and early summer allowed for healthy flowering, fruit set, and canopy development.
• Late summer rainfall presented some challenges, but careful vineyard management ensured optimal ripeness.
• The resulting wines are expressive, structured, and built to age beautifully.

Food Pairing Suggestions 🍽️

🍖 Grilled Meats – Perfect with ribeye steak, lamb chops, or slow-braised short ribs.
🧀 Aged Cheeses – Complements mature cheddar, Gruyère, or blue cheese.
🌱 Vegetarian Pairings – Try with mushroom risotto, roasted vegetables, or eggplant parmigiana.

Technical Details

• Region: Margaret River, WA
• Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), Malbec (5%), Cabernet Franc (5%), Merlot (5%)
• Oak Ageing: 14 months in French oak
• pH: 3.39
• Acidity: 7.07 g/L
• Alcohol: 14.0%
• Residual Sugar: < 2 g/L

Cellaring Potential

This Cabernet Sauvignon is built to age gracefully for 10+ years, developing greater complexity and depth over time. While delicious now, it will reward patience with richer secondary flavours and a silkier mouthfeel.

Learn About Thompson Estate

Thompson Estate is in Wilyabrup, Margaret River. It is a James Halliday 5 red star winery with premium, gold medal winning wines.

Our Wilyabrup vineyard, nestled in the South West cape of Western Australia, benefits from the perfect balance of sunlight exposure and maritime influence thanks to its unique location surrounded by ocean on three sides. These coastal breezes help maintain optimal fruit ripening conditions and enhance the flavour profile, reminiscent of the renowned Bordeaux region in France. Alongside our neighbouring vineyards, Thompson Estate consistently produces top-tier chardonnays and cabernets, earning recognition as icons within the Australian wine scene.

Embracing sustainable and organic principles, our winery and vineyard are home to diverse native flora and fauna, with the tranquil flow of the Wilyabrup brook enhancing the sense of serenity. We recognise the importance of preserving and enhancing the biodiversity and environmental integrity of our land. Thus, we are committed to minimising our environmental impact through proactive measures aimed at continual improvement.

Aligned with this commitment, Thompson Estate implements a comprehensive management system with clear objectives and targets to reduce our environmental footprint. We adhere to the Freshcare Environmental Codes of Practice to manage our environmental effects and waste in accordance with legal requirements. Furthermore, we are in the process of obtaining updated certification with the AWRI’s Sustainable Winegrowing Australia.

While we adhere to organic practices, we have yet to pursue formal certification. Additionally, we incorporate selective biodynamic techniques for soil enrichment, though we await further scientific validation of these methods originating from Rudolf Steiner’s practices in the 1920s.

Read Thompson Estate wine reviews HERE

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