Forester Estate

Margaret River Lifestyle Cabernet Merlot 2023

Grape variety - 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec.Oak maturation - 100% of the wine is aged in French oak barriques 22% new for 18 months.Colour - Medium red with red-purple hue.Aroma - Fragrant with subtle complexity, the wine opens with cassis, raspberry and mulberry fruit. Theres bay leaf, gravel dust and damp earth in support with balanced cedar oak.Palate Full and soft with a fleshy texture and simple tannins. There are bright fruit characters of boysenberry, plum and cassis with bay leaf and balanced oak. A subtle but complex wine thats all about drinkability.Food matchesMeat dishes, saucy pastas and cheeses.Peak drinking - Drinking well now but will develop further over the next 3 to 5 years.Viticulture - Fruit is sourced from neighboring properties in the most northern sub-region of Margaret River Yallingup. Meticulous management of bud numbers and shoot thinning continues to ensure a balanced canopy and full fruit ripeness. The 2023 vintage was a mild year in Margaret River, allowing plenty of time during February and March to ripen the fruit to our specification.Winemaking - Each parcel of fruit was gently crushed into small open fermenters with traditional heading down boards where fermentation was carried out under strict temperature controlled conditions. Extraction was achieved by daily draining of wine away from skins and returning back over the top, with fermentation and maceration times varying from 7 to 30 days. The wine was pressed to tank, where 100% was sent to new and older French oak barriques to complete the primary and malo-lactic fermentation.Storage and Bottling - After 18 months of ageing, the wine was carefully blended to achieve this friendly Margaret River style. Bottled in a premium claret bottle using a screwcap closure. This closure will ensure the wine retains its youth and fruit integrity.