x
  • Country ranking ?

    93
  • Producer ranking ?

    10
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    now to 2045
  • Food Pairing

    roasted reindeer

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The Story

The refurbished icon wine Tom Cullity 2013 from Vasse Felix was launched in Spring 2017. Before 2013 the icon red wine of Vasse Felix was called Heytesbury. The blend is the same Cabernet-Malbec but Tom Cullity is a single-vineyard wine unlike its predecessor.

Vasse Felix, Margaret River's founding wine estate, was established by Dr Thomas Brendan Cullity in 1967. Among his first plantings were Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec vines, from whic...

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Wine Information

2017 was a cooler and later vintage than the previous 10 years; a year of elegant, structural, slightly lighter bodied wines; though ripe in flavour, vibrant and very perfumed. Higher than average yields in combination with a cooler season contributed to delayed ripening of the fruit and good retention of acidity. Some timely warmth and sunshine occurred throughout January, although February temperatures remained moderate with some rainfall. W...

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Vintage 2017

AUSTRALIA VINTAGE REPORT: The 2017 winegrape crush is estimated to be 1.93 million tonnes, based on responses received by the Wine Sector Survey 2017. This crush is 5 per cent higher than the 2016 final crush figure of 1.84 million tonnes (Department of Agriculture and Water Resources – Levies recorded figure). It is the third consecutive vintage where the tonnes crushed have increased.

Additional tonnes this year came relatively equally fr...

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

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Written Notes

2017 was an elegant, late season harvest resulting in beautifully ripe fruit, well preserved bright fruit fragrance and a long, delicate tannin profile. The unique small sections of Tom’s old blocks were hand-harvested from 7 to 24 April, destemmed only without crushing and then wild fermented as whole berries. The Cabernet Sauvignon was static fermented, gently pumped over through a splash tub, then left on skins for up to 33 days to stabilise and become structurally sound. The Petit Verdot and Malbec were open fermented, hand-plunged and pressed dry. Each small batch fermentation was basket-pressed and gently transferred to fine French oak for 19 months of maturation. With minimal rack and return, this wine was aged on its fine lees, bringing beautiful savoury elements and soft tannins to this delicate vintage.

A lovely, translucent ruby. NOSE The tightly intermingled perfume carries Tom’s Block characters of savoury tobacco, earthy forest and nori-like ocean breeze. Delicate red berry notes move into savoury tones of cherry pip, mushroom, white clay, brie rind and tamari. A floral fragrance of violets frames this elegant vintage. PALATE A restrained and ethereal rendition of Margaret River Cabernet, the body is plush and shapely, with lovely red berry fruit characters and super fine, talc-like tannins of unbelievable length. Graceful and sophisticated with a savoury core, the delicate complexity of perfumes linger on the long, drying finish.

Pink peppercorn, pomegranate, raspberry, layered. This has finesse and power without weight… length of flavour and statuesque poise. This is why Margaret River is so great. Outstanding wine.

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Information

Origin

Wilyabrup, Margaret River

Inside Information

COLOUR A lovely, translucent ruby. NOSE The tightly intermingled perfume carries Tom’s Block characters of savoury tobacco, earthy forest and nori-like ocean breeze. Delicate red berry notes move into savoury tones of cherry pip, mushroom, white clay, brie rind and tamari. A floral fragrance of violets frames this elegant vintage. PALATE A restrained and ethereal rendition of Margaret River Cabernet, the body is plush and shapely, with lovely red berry fruit characters and super fine, talc-like tannins of unbelievable length. Graceful and sophisticated with a savoury core, the delicate complexity of perfumes linger on the long, drying finish.

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