Pertaringa Understudy Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 | 6 Pack

Region: McLaren Vale

Story: This wine is a long-standing family favourite. An ‘understudy’ to our Rifle & Hunt Cabernet Sauvignon but certainly no second fiddle!

Vineyard: This Cabernet Sauvignon fruit is sourced from three vineyards, the Picnic Ground vineyard (once owned by Thomas Hardy and named after the picnics they used to hold there) located on Kay’s Road, the Osmond family’s “Leslie” block just outside McLaren Flat and Tintookie vineyard located in Blewitt Springs. The combination of blocks from these different sub-sections of McLaren Vale allow for wonderful diversity and richness of flavour.  

Geology: Picnic Ground and Tintookie are on Maslin Sands, aged between 34 and 56 million years old and the Leslie block is on deep alluvial clay from the Holocene era (11,700 years old).

Harvest Date: 30 March (Picnic Grounds), 11 April (Leslie's) and 12 April (Tintookie).

Winemaking: Parcels for this blend were harvested and made separately in the winery before barrel selection and blending just prior to bottling.  Fruit was crushed and fermented in both open and static fermenters.  Wines spent 8 days on skins before pressing directly to barrel for maturation.  This wine spent 15 months in new and seasoned French oak hogsheads.  

Nose: Aromatic varietal nose of cassis and spice.

Palate: Blackcurrant fruits fill the palate. Structured tannins provide elegance and length. Understudy is a sophisticated Cabernet but still offers the fruit generosity and weight that is hallmark of all Pertaringa wines.

Winemaking: All parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon were fermented and matured in seasoned French oak for 15 months separately.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2032

94 Points - Wine Orbit, 2025
'Wonderfully composed and styled, the wine presents aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, tobacco, and elegant oak on the nose. The palate delivers excellent weight and fine flow, splendidly framed by chalky tannins, making it sturdy and robust with a lengthy, satisfying finish.'

92 Points - Wine Pilot, 2025
Here is a wine you’ll find familiar for its intensity of blackberries and kirsch notes, followed by its graphite traces and clipping of cigar. It's quite the classy number that is drinking very well now and still has 6-8 years in the cellar