Woodlands 'Margaret' Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Malbec Reserve 2022 (375ml)

A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 5% Malbec. Hand-picked between 18th March and 8th April, destemmed and hand-sorted, then fermented in stainless steel with 24 days on skins. After pressing, the wine spent 18 months in French oak, 44% of it new.

A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 5% Malbec. Hand-picked between 18th March and 8th April, destemmed and hand-sorted, then fermented in stainless steel with 24 days on skins. After pressing, the wine spent 18 months in French oak, 44% of it new.

The colour is an intense, deep garnet-ruby. The nose takes a little time to open, but patience is rewarded — fresh mulberries and blackberry compote interweave with cherry, violet and layers of red plum and cranberry, all lifted and vibrating with energy, with a touch of sweetness in the form of toffee apple woven through tight-grain oak. The power of the vintage really shows through on the palate: dense, driven and beautifully layered, with an array of dark fruits, cocoa bean, orange zest, star anise and a hint of black pepper. Serious structure and tannin sit just beneath the surface, finished with bright, energetic acidity. This is a wine that's asking to be cellared, and one that will truly reward the wait. Best opened between 2032 and 2037.