Cellar Profile
In 1980, the Leask family moved from the Hunter Valley to McLaren Vale, in Southeast Australia. They have since purchased several vineyards through the hilly, iconic region, allowing brothers Malcolm and Richard to finally open their own winery. The vineyards sit upon mineral-rich reddish-brown loam and clay soils, with quartzite and sand. These iconic reddish soils are high in iron content, imparting a savoury, umami note to a lot of the wines. While the days get quite warm during the growing season, there is a strong ocean breeze from the nearby Gulf of Saint Vincent, which also drops the temperature markedly during the evening, allowing the grapes to cool and maintaining freshness in the wines. In the vineyard, H&Y practices Regenerative Agriculture, working the vineyards in such a way as to help reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity. With a preference for Mediterranean and Iberian Peninsula varieties, they offer an eclectic collection of wines including Tempranillo, Nero d’Avola, Touriga Nacional, Aglianico, Malbec and Carignan.
Region
McLaren Vale is located in South Australia, approximately 35 km south of Adelaide. Nestled between the Mount Lofty Ranges to the east and Gulf St Vincent to the west, it is part of the larger Fleurieu Zone and is one of the country's oldest and most celebrated wine regions, with viticulture dating back to the 1830s. Red grapes represent almost 75% of the area under vine, including Shiraz (approximately half of total plantings), Grenache and Mataro (Mourvèdre). The region boasts a Mediterranean climate, with moderate winter rainfall, warm dry summers ideal for ripening and cool sea breezes from the Gulf St Vincent that help retain acidity in the grapes. The region’s geology is among the most diverse and complex in Australia, with over 40 distinct soil types, contributing to vineyard diversity and wine character. These are wines with concentrated fruit flavors, ripe tannins and balanced natural acidity. McLaren Vale is a leader in sustainable viticulture in Australia, with strong adoption of organic, biodynamic and minimal-intervention practices.
Vineyard
The Cabernet is sourced entirely from the Hillenvale Vineyard located in the village of Kangarilla. Established in 1998 and located at 390 MASL, this is the highest vineyard planted with Cabernet in the region. The Shiraz in this blend comes from the Sand Road Vineyard, planted at an elevation of 70 MASL in the cooler Eastern foothills of the region. Vines date to 2001.
Winemaking
Cabernet and Shiraz parcels were picked and vinifed separately. Fruit was de-stemmed and whole-berry fermented in 8 ton open top fermenters. The must was kept cool over 14-16 days of primary ferment – aiming for gentle extraction and silky texture – and then pressed to tank where the free run and 80% of pressings were combined before being transferred to 3-4 year old French 400 litre Puncheons. After 18 months, the wines were racked off lees, blended and transferred to stainless steel for integration prior to bottling. Vegan friendly.
Tasting Notes
Deep, dark red with hints of purple towards the rim. Loaded with rich, heady aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, hedgerow, violet and clove spice. The palate is full, succulent and fleshy, showing flavours of dark berries, nougat, roasted coffee, red capsicum and fresh herbs. Pair with mushroom ragout, grilled and roasted red meats, venison and game birds.
Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on earth and has successfully spread to almost every wine growing country. DNA profiling carried out in California in 1997 confirmed that it is the product of a natural genetic crossing between key Bordeaux grape varieties Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood. Shiraz is Australia's most well known and most widely planted variety. Hailing from the Southeastern region of France, it is grown in practically every wine region in Australia – testament to its adaptable nature.