The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon leads with raspberry and red gravel, cassis, cocoa and tobacco, with layers of red apple and licorice, all of it shaped by warm-biscuit oak. The palate has gentle clarity: the length of flavor is very long, but the intensity of this vintage has been turned down. It was an interesting year in the vineyards, with constant rain or drizzle, coupled with moderate temperatures throughout the growing season. It caused some viticultural pressures, which in turn impacted picking decisions; in the end, it was a season defined by extreme vigilance and nimble decision-making. This iteration is an elegant, fine expression, which texturally feels good in the mouth. It's a quietly sapid wine. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Winemaker Keith Mugford. 52-year-old vineyard, on own rootstock. Sand and gravel loams over clay. Dry farmed. Minimal tillage and mulching to preserve soil structure. Predominantly north- and east-facing slopes. 1,518 vines/ha. All Houghton clone Cabernet Sauvignon. Picked 6–9 April. A mild season, 1.3 °C lower than average, with a long hang time of 134 days. Fermented in open-top steel tanks, no whole bunch. Hand-plunged 4 times per day, on skins for 14 days. 29 months in 228-litre French oak, 16% new. Filtered. Rather extraordinarily much more transparent than the 2001! There's something a little formulaic on the palate – the oak perhaps? Rather drying finish. Just a tad stringy – I wouldn’t mind more fruit. (JR)