Tasmania is all about Pinot Noir and Sparkling wine right! The quality of this wine should come as no great surprise, as the winery has a big reputation with a wine in the prestigious Langton’s classification, but it was the second label Cabernet that caught Stuart’s and mine attention.
Calling this “Stoney Vineyard” a second label is an injustice.The fruit is hand picked and sorted at the winery, then matured in French Oak for 33 months, before cellaring in the bottle for another 2 years before release. This sort of stuff just does not happen at this price
Domaine A is a 20ha property in the Coal River Valley of Southern Tasmania, owned and operated by Swiss born Peter and Ruth Althaus.
The secret of the vineyard, and why they can ripen fruit in such a southerly location, is the closely spaced vines (restricting the yield) and the sloping northerly aspect, enabling the vines to full ripen, taking advantage of the prolonged summer sunshine.
The wines are made without compromise in the spirit of the finest traditions of European winemaking. This wine is a homage to the owner’s love of Bordeaux and it really is more European than your typical Aussie Cab.
The wine needs to breathe and open up, and once it does you will find lovely aromas of ripe berries and cigar box characters. There is a great interplay between the fruit and tannins on the palate, showing lovely blackcurrant, dried herbs and glossy chocolate. A very serious wine indeed.