Cloudburst - Cabernet Sauvignon - Margaret River 2020

Cloudburst - Cabernet Sauvignon - Margaret River 2020

Australia’s leading cult wine was created by American biologist Will Berliner, on the wild and isolated southwestern corner of Australia in a biodiversity paradise. The one-hectare vineyard was planted in 2005, and has never been cultivated nor chemically sprayed.

It is close-planted, own-rooted and non-irrigated, and has been farmed using biodynamic principles from inception. The vineyard benefits from the presence of well-drained ironstone gravel soils, and a supremely untainted natural environment within sound of the Indian Ocean.
Speaking of the Cloudburst ethos, owner and vigneron Will says “Our practice of careful observation begins in the vineyard and continues in the winery. We work with nature and offer only minimal interference in natural processes. The whole farm is an integrated, living system, with its foundation in the soil. It is an exceptionally isolated and pristine place, unmarred in anyway. The grapes have nothing standing in the way of their full expression.

The 2020 vintage

Weather conditions

A wet winter was followed by a relatively warm spring, stimulating early vine growth. The hot summer, characterized by successive heat waves and very dry conditions, accelerated ripening, and resulted in small bunch sizes with intense concentrated flavours.
Chardonnay harvest finished in advance of a series of rains in late February which persisted into March, prolonging hang time in the Cabernet and Malbec. The result was softer, riper tannins, concentrated flavours, and optimally ripened fruit.

Tasting notes

"A stunningly elegant wine of great beauty, finesse, and complexity. Structured layers of briar and biscuit with liquorice, iodine, and graphite, are held together with tantalizing tension. Cerebral, sensual, vibrant, and transparent, this wine casts a powerful spell." Will Berliner