Richard Hamilton maintains the most outstanding estate vineyards, some are of great age, all are fully mature. The vines at Hut Block on McMurtrie Road are amongst the eldest in McLaren Vale. Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from estate vineyard blocks to the south of McLaren Vale township. The oldest of the vines, planted 1968, provide the backbone. Some oak barrel fermentations are employed to enhance the body and soul of the wine. The philosophy being to augment, rather than dominate the fruit with oak.

Named after the picker's hut at the front of the property, the Hut Block vineyards are planted on sand and black clay loam soils over a substructure of clay. The intensity in the fruit can be attributed to these soils, while the mild maritime climate of McLaren Vale, in which cool evening and night breezes from the gully winds moderate the day time temperatures, suits this variety. The emphasis is on low yielding vines that are pruned and trained to allow dappled light to reach the fruit zone to slow ripening and enhance aroma and flavour. Grapes are harvested throughout the cool of night, vinified and matured fourteen months in a combination of new and seasoned French and American oak barrels.