Heartland Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Heartland Wines was created by a small group of leading South Australian wine identities who are all good friends and share a passion for making great wine. The directors include second-generation winemaker Ben Glaetzer and wine industry professionals Grant Tilbrook and Vicki Arnold All the wines are made by Ben Glaetzer and are made with fruit from the director's own mature vineyards in the Limestone Coast and Langhorne Creek, South Australia.

Region: 94% Langhorne Creek, 6%
Limestone Coast

Soil: Langhorne Creek: Sandy loam.
Limestone Coast: Black loam over terra rossa subsoil and deep limestone

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 100% 

2006 Vintage: The 2006 vintage provided us with very favourable growing conditions with a mild spring encouraging good early season growth. Regular rainfall was experienced in both the Langhorne Creek & Limestone Coast districts. Growers were rewarded with steady growth and ripening conditions through to an early vintage. The 2006 is a softer, more generous vintage than the 2005. The '05 Cabernet Sauvignon took a while to open up - it was angular and tight when young but it has softened and grown in complexity very nicely now after 12-18 months in bottle. The '06 will be more approachable in its youth. It has the structure and firmness of the '05 but with greater body in the mid palate. With careful cellaring, optimum drinking will be 3-5 years. 

Vinification: The fruit was crushed into 10 tonne open fermenters, left on skins to cold macerate for three days prior to yeast inoculation. Maximum ferment temperature of 26°C (with a Rhône isolate yeast) ensured enough tannin extraction while maintaining freshness of aromatics. The wine was pressed to oak for malolactic fermentation, then racked and returned to French and American oak for a 12-month maturation.

Yield: 4-5 tonnes/ha (1.7-2 tons/acre)

Tasting notes: A densely coloured wine displaying lifted blackberry and cassis on the nose. The palate offers sweet fruit flavours with a hint of mint and a rich texture, followed by a long finish with big velvety tannins.

Label Alcohol: 14.5%

Total Acidity: 7.1g/l PH: 3.26

Residual sugar: 0.6g/l

www.heartlandwines.com.au

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