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Available by the dozen
The High Trellis paddock has been yielding the most splendid vintages of wine since the late 19th century, so nicknamed as the vines were the first to be trained above knee height following acquisition of the property by dArenberg. For decades, High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon has been released to unanimous critical acclaim by the wine industry press and international cognoscente. Indeed, the inaugural 1968 vintage earned a place in history when it claimed Australia's most prestigious accolade, the highly coveted Jimmy Watson Trophy. Small batches are crushed in the Demoisy open mouthed, rubber toothed crusher and transferred to five tonne headed down open fermenters, parcels are vinified separately. Foot treading is undertaken followed by gentle basket pressing. Transferred to a mixture of oak casks to complete primary and secondary fermentation. The barrel fermented component is aged on lees for added complexity with no racking until final blending. Chester and the winemaking team undertake an extensive barrel tasting process to determine the final assemblage. High Trellis is unexposed to fining or filtration, aged up to twenty months in a combination of new and older French and American oak barriques and large casks.
TASTING NOTESDeep, bright red. Lifted nose, fresh and full of violets, blackcurrant and leafy notes, oak supplies a touch of cedar, adding complexity to the soulful earthiness. The palate is textured and lithe, coated by lacy tannins around a core of cassis, licorice and plum fruit mixed with earth and graphite before a mineral tail. It's well weighted, fresh and balanced, inviting now, like all d'Arenberg wines, decanting will help show its best. |
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The heart of McLaren Vale, past and present, d’Arenberg is one of the most significant wineries in Australia
In 1912 Joseph Osborn, a teetotaller and director of Thomas Hardy and Sons, purchased the well established Milton Vineyards of 25 hectares in the hills just north of the townships of Gloucester and Bellevue, now known as McLaren Vale. Joseph’s son Francis Ernest (‘Frank’) Osborn left medical school, choosing to forsake the scalpel for pruning shears. He soon increased the size of the vineyard to 78 hectares. Fruit was sold to local wineries until the construction of his own cellars was completed in 1928. Dry red table and fortified wines were produced in ever increasing quantities to supply the expanding markets of Europe. dArenberg»
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