2024 O'Leary Walker Cabernet Sauvignon, Clare Valley

The 2024 O’Leary Walker Cabernet sauvignon is again a blend of the Polish Hill River and the Armagh sub-regions of Clare Valley.

Pouring a deep scarlet red, the wine greets with generous aromas of blue and purple fruit, with more subtle notes of dries bush herbs, aniseed and cedar starting to emerge as it sits in the glass. The palate is medium-to full-bodied, with concentrated silky and dark toned fruit wrapped in fine tannins.

This should age well for several years under good conditions but is equally a delicious drink today. Give it a bit of air if you can and enjoy with Levantine Lamb Kofta or Lou Mei braised duck.

More about this wine

The fruit for this wine was sourced from two vineyards: the organically certified, dry grown and low yielding Doctor's Block in the Polish Hill River region and the Armagh vineyard which produces fruit from 50-year-old dry grown vines.

The loam soils across both are comprised of sand, silt and clay, which support the root structure of the vine, influence the drainage levels and affect the amount of minerals and nutrients that the vine is exposed to, and hence, the quality fruit.

The de-stemmed grapes were fermented whole in two- and four-tonne fermenters with indigenous yeast and hand-plunged over the two-week ferment. The wine was then left on skins for 25 days to enhance tannin complexity and flavours. The pressed wine was racked and matured for eighteen months in French oak barrels of which 15% were new for the season and the balance of second and third use.

About this producer

O’Leary Walker was established in 2000 by experienced winemakers David O’Leary and Nick Walker. Today, they combine their experience with new blood in the cellar, brought in by Vivian Tu and Nick’s son Jack Walker. Fruit is sourced from David and Nick’s respective family vineyards, as well as long term contract growers.