This is the third most highly rated Margaret River wine (based on critic scores).
Critic tasting note: (2016 vintage) "A dry and warm spring set good fruit and better yields than in the preceding vintage. Warm conditions with some helpful rainfall in January led to a long finish to the season. 78% Cab with 20% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, it spent 19 months in French oak, 80% new. Lots of mint and eucalypt here, chocolate too and refined cassis. Also plenty of ozoney freshness, leafy fennel and liquorice. The palate has great concentration and balance, again it is a wine with great drive and focus because of those taut, fine tannins and dry cherry-pit bite of the acid, but this does have the ripeness of fruit too, plump blackcurrants and brambles, just a background of quite exotic, incense-like spice." -Ā Tom Cannavan
Vasse Felix, Margaret Riverās founding wine estate, was established by Dr Thomas Brendan Cullity in 1967. Among his first plantings were Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec vines, from which he produced the estateās first red wine. The Tom Cullity descends from these original vines and represents the purest expression of our history, place and vintage; the pinnacle of Vasse Felix.
Drinking Window: 2021-2046
Winemaking
The small sections of Tomās old blocks were hand-harvested and destemmed only, without crushing, and then fermented with their natural yeast. The Cabernet parcels were static fermented, gently pumped over through a splash tub, and then left on skins for up to 33 days to stabilise and make structurally sound in an exceptional ripening year with quality tannins. The Petit Verdot, Malbec and some Cabernet Sauvignon were open fermented, hand-plunged and pressed dry. All basket pressed only.
Ageing
French Oak Barrique 59% new, 41% 2-4 year old 18 months.
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