2018 Harewood Estate FLUX I Malbec Cabernet

Each vintage our winemakers explore new varieties, vineyards, styles and techniques.

Occasionally these trials and experiments yield results that deserve to see the “light of day”.

Some of the wines may never be produced again creating a selection of wines that will be forever in a state of “flux”.

Similarly, the label is also in a state of flux – each individually numbered bottle has its own unique image.

A digital thumbprint is created for each wine using its unique data – tonnes harvested, date harvested, GPS location of the vineyard, chemical analysis, bottles produced, etc.

The wine’s numerical “identity” is used to manipulate the label generating thousands of unique iterations.

The 2018 vintage has been described as one of the best in memory.  The perfect conditions (not too hot and not too dry) resulted in some outstanding parcels of fruits producing wines that will be long lived.

This wine is a blend of three special batches from the 2018 vintage – Denmark Malbec, Denmark Cabernet and Mount Barker Cabernet.  It has been matured in 2/3 new and 1/3 second fill French oak barriques coopered in Bordeaux.

Extended maturation in barrel has given the firm tannins time to soften and allowed the young primary fruit characters to mellow into a more polished, complex wine where the vanilla, spice and structure imparted by the best French oak plays an equal part.

A spicy aromatic nose of blackcurrant and cigar box with hints of liquorice, tar and leather.

The palate is plush and moreish with ripe black fruits and stewed plum leading to a complex, spicy, earthy mid palate with hints of coffee bean and dark chocolate and a long finish of fine velvety tannins.

This wine will improve with up to fifteen years careful cellaring.