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2008 Beaujolais Vintage

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Cabernet/Merlot - 2005 - Vasse Felix
Ref: A203305
A medium bodied style wine with good clarity and moderate intensity of colour. Aromas of blueberry pie, cherry, mocha and cedar reflect its mainly northern Margaret River origins - showing good ripeness levels. The palate is soft and fleshy with oodles of upfront fruit sweetness. Showing good balance with alcohol and moderate acidity levels and soft approachable tannins. The oak flavours are very much in a supportive role in the background. A wine that is ready to drink, or cellar for 3-4 years for maximum enjoyment.

This Cabernet Merlot is sourced from various vineyards in the Margaret River Region. The 2001 vintage was a compressed one, with many varieties ripening together. As a result the winery was operated on a 24 hour basis to get the fruit picked in as optimal condition as possible. The season was fairly warm with fruit coming in with higher sugar levels and lower acid levels than average. The grapes were fermented in rotary fermenters and pressed off before the end of fermentation to finish in tanks. The wine was then transferred to 1-3 year old French and American oak barriques for 12 months maturation. The wine was blended in October 2002 with the aim of making a wine
ready to drink with moderate ageing potential.

Vasse Felix was the first commercial vineyard and winery to be established in the Margaret River region of Western Australia. The vineyard took its unusual name from an early event in the district. Vasse was a French seaman who drowned last century when his longboat overturned near the site of Busselton while exploring the coastline on the ship "Geographe" under Captain Freycinet. Paradoxically, Felix is the Latin word for fortunate or luck. Thus the name refers to a favoured place in Australia discovered by the French. In 1965 Dr John S Gladstones emphasised the region's suitability on his report "The Climate and Soils of Southern WA in relation to Vine Growing". Two years later Dr Tom Cullity planted vines and Vasse Felix was born.

The bird depicted on the label is a peregrine falcon. The native birds were an immense problem at harvest, so Dr Cullity used trained falcons to deter the silver eyes and parrots. Although much time and effort went into this exercise, it was not successful with the birds failing to return after free flying.

In 1987, Vasse Felix was purchased by the Holmes à Court family and today grows under the leadership of Mrs Janet Holmes à Court.

Price: £10.99
Including VAT at 17.5%

Qty:

Australia (Western Australia)	2005	Medium Full Bodied
Merlot	Red	Beef/Lamb/Duck
Vasse Felix	Medium Dry	Drink or keep

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