Xabregas manage the finest vineyards in the greater Mount Barker area. They are contract grows for Houghton, Howard Park and Forest Hill, the choicest parcels of Merlot and Cabernet however are retained and earmarked for their own label. It is the belief at Xabregas that the alchemy of vinification takes a back seat to the quality of fruit coming from their three estate vineyards. The growers and winemaking team work side by side to preserve the expression of terroir, achieving a wine with excellent colour, soft, beautifully integrated tannins and maximum fruit intensity.

From vines grown to lateritic, gravely and sandy loams. Crop thinning plays a significant role in the ultimate quality of fruit. Grapes are de-stemmed and crushed, the must is chilled on its way to tank. Yeast is added the next day and the juices are pumped over the cap of skins three times daily for thirty minutes to release colour, tannin and flavour. A large proportion is vinified in ganimede fermenters which utilise the energy of the carbon dioxide gas produced during fermentation to power the pumpovers. Xabregas was put to oak for completion of malolactic, racked every four months and matured in a selection of new and seasoned French, American and Hungarian oak barrels for eighteen months. Alcohol 14.5%