Henschke Cyril Henschke Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

A moderately wet winter combined with average spring conditions meant the vines grew well in the mild weather. Ideal flowering conditions in late spring/early summer led to the potential for near-average yields. Late December became warm and dry, ensuring healthy canopies with low disease pressure. The summer months of January and February were typically warm and dry, characterised by above-average overnight temperatures. The old-vine vineyards coped well with the warm nights, their deep roots able to withstand the warming and drying effect on the topsoil, maturing the balanced crops as autumn approached. March and April provided light and warmth to the Eden Valley, leading to full and balanced maturity being achieved across all grape varieties. With warm sunny days and cool nights, the dry autumn guaranteed that pristinely healthy grapes arrived in the fermenters.

Grapes were hand-harvested in the cool of the morning. This single vineyard was divided into separate parcels, with the slope's top, middle and bottom picked separately. Each parcel remained separate throughout the vinification process. Once in the winery, the grapes were destemmed and lightly crushed into traditional, concrete, open-top fermenters. A submerged cap was performed to manage a slow tannin extraction. The fermentations were controlled, with pump-overs being performed twice daily. After 7-10 days and just before reaching dryness, the fermentations were gently pressed to the barrel, finishing the primary fermentation in French oak (10% new and 90% seasoned) hogshead barrels. The wine matured for 18 months in oak before blending and bottling. The wine was aged in a bottle for two years before its release.