This was the vintage that alerted consumers to the wonder of Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. All wine varieties grow across the climate band that is favourable for ripening grapes. To assume as many insist that this band is narrow and for example the best Cabernet is grown in coolish climates such as the Yarra Valley or Orange or Tasmania, does not explain why Max Lake planted Cabernet in the Hunter Valley nor why sublime Cabernets are made in the Clare Valley.
Enjoy great wine wherever it is made is the simple solution to most of the problems many see with wine. If the wine tastes good, drink it. The fixation of the perfect place for a variety developed from the great wines of France, namely Cabernet for Bordeaux and Pinot Noir for Burgundy. The thought went, if we could discover the exact same climate we could duplicate these wines. Start with a clean sheet as we did in Australia and a refreshing new identity for varieties is discovered. The first Cabernet produced was the Oakley Adams Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 of which we made 94 dozen. There have been others since from the Limestone Coast and the Fleurieu Peninsula.
