A Decade of Tipsy Hill, A Twilight Cabernet Celebration

On a perfect summer evening on 24 January, we welcomed Wine Club members to a truly special occasion - a twilight vertical tasting celebrating 10 years of Tipsy Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by a long-table dinner besides the vines at our cellar door. 

Before 2016, we had actually never heard of Tipsy Hill. The Cabernet fruit from this small vineyard was simply blended away into a larger Coriole Cabernet Sauvignon, which, don’t get me wrong, is a great Cabernet Sauvignon, but never showcased what this vineyard can really do. When we purchased the property in 2016, everything changed.

Within a week of taking ownership, it was obvious the fruit coming off this east-facing block was exceptional - too distinctive, too expressive, and too inherently balanced to ever disappear into a blend again. From that moment, we committed to producing a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from this remarkable site.

Our twilight tasting brought together ten vintages, 2016 through to a barrel sample of the, drawn entirely from the same tiny 1.6 hectare vineyard, planted in 1999 and rooted in the ancient sands of Blewitt Springs. With the soft summer light drifting across the gardens and hills, we walked through the story of Tipsy Hill vintage by vintage - a rare opportunity to see how one site expresses itself over time and something that Richard and I have never done before!

And what a line up it was.

Across the board, the older wines shone. The 2017 and 2018 vintages were clear crowd favourites, elegant, beautifully balanced seasons that produced Cabernet of purity, finesse, and they really showed the longevity of this wine. These continue to age superbly and are still available to purchase on our Cellar Reserve page for those who love exceptional back vintage Cabernet:
https://bechardy.com.au/collections/large-format-wines

The younger vintages showed more intensity with plenty of tannin, body and flavour, indicating how well they will age over time. This is certainly a perfect wine to gift or to put away for a few years because it certainly benefits from cellaring.  

As the tasting concluded, guests relaxed into a delightful dinner overlooking the vineyard, enjoying good food, good conversation, and the kind of atmosphere you can only create on a warm summer’s night in McLaren Vale. It was one of those evenings that felt both effortless and unforgettable — a celebration of wine, people and place.

Events like this are what our Wine Club is all about:
exclusive access, intimate experiences, rare wines, and the chance to be part of something special. If you’d like to join us for future evenings like this, you can explore and join our Wine Club here:
https://bechardy.com.au/apps/subscriptions/cart

Here’s to a decade of Tipsy Hill Cabernet Sauvignon - and the many stories still to come.
We look forward to raising a glass with you at the next Wine Club event.

Cheers

Bec & Richard