2025 Fearon Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes

Cabernet Sauvignon needs a long and steady growing season, without prolonged extremes of temperature, in order to reach it’s true potential. In Ferguson Valley in 2025, we were fortunate to have such a growing season, and the Cabernet vines at our Hillsedge vineyard were able to quietly and steadily ripen fruit with a beautiful spectrum of ripe flavours in the skins and seeds. It’s in seasons like this where you remember why this variety is referred to as the “King” of winegrapes. This release retains the familiar varietal and vineyard character of our beloved Hillsedge vineyard, but with more finesse and additional layers of depth and complexity. Classic mulberry and cassis fruit immediately fill out the nose, supported by sweeter red forest berries. Varietal bay leaf, sage and pepper provide a savoury aromatic counterpoint to the primary fruit. The palate is built from the outset on a line of juicy blackcurrant and raspberry fruit, finishing long with a savoury lift. Fine-grained tannins provide a supple, lithe framework for the line of fruit flavour along with the well-balanced acidity. This is a classic Australian claret made in a modern style, medium-light bodied with fresh bright fruit and minimal oak influence. Extremely versatile, this wine is equally at home on the table paired with Sunday roast as it is enjoyed by the glass watching the footy with friends.

Vineyard

The fruit was sourced from our 25-year-old vines on our Hillsedge vineyard, located in our home of the Ferguson sub-region of Geographe. The Ferguson Valley has a variety of slopes, aspects and microclimates, formed by the eponymous river as it meanders down the Darling Scarp. Hillsedge is located on a moderately steep south-east facing slope just above the Ferguson River, in the upper reaches of the catchment. Soils are typically dark-brown loamy earth with patches of the districts prized chocolate soils and pockets of granite and shattered quartzite. Alternating low ridges of shallow granite bedrock and wet depressions create distinct variation in vine vigour throughout. Excellent drainage, sub-soil water retention and soil fertility create excellent conditions for grapevines, while the exposure to persistent breezes helps reduce disease pressure. The 2025 growing season was the first full season this vineyard was managed by us, utilising organic farming inputs. Rigorous canopy management of the Cabernet Sauvignon was employed throughout the growing season to moderate bunch exposure and canopy density.

Winemaking

Fruit was hand-harvested on the morning of March 23^rd 2025, and upon arrival at the winery placed into a cool room overnight. The following day, the fruit was destemmed into small open fermenters as whole uncrushed berries, then cold soaked for 48 hours. After warming to ambient temperature, wild fermentation was allowed to proceed, with the fermenters gently plunged several times a day during fermentation. Several aerative pumpovers were carried out during the peak of fermentation. Primary fermentation was completed 23 days later, after which the fermenters were sealed up and left on skins for a further two weeks. The wine was then drained and gently basket pressed directly into seasoned French oak barriques. A neutral malolactic bacteria culture was added, and the barrels stirred periodically. Around eight weeks later, the barrels were sulphured and topped, then aged for a further 15 months in oak. In May 2026, the wine was racked out of barrel and blended into tank, then racked again and bottled with no fining or filtration.

Season

After the extraordinarily hot, dry and compressed harvest of 2024, 2025 was a welcome return to a more balanced and rhythmic, classic southwest WA growing season. The winter of 2024 saw slightly above average temperatures, and above average rainfall that started later but persisted well into spring. Mild and settled conditions around budburst allowed balanced and even early shoot growth progressively hasten as temperatures warmed into October. Spring into early summer saw a perfect rhythm of clear sunny days interspersed with overcast and rainy conditions. Flowering occurred during generally settled weather, resulting in even berry set and good crop levels. A massive rain event towards the end of November saw over 100mm of rain fall in the Ferguson Valley district in less than 24 hours, stimulating strong secondary growth in vines that necessitated additional canopy management. Summer was generally warm with few temperature extremes. A mild heatwave preceded the onset of harvest in second week of February, with white varieties being harvested in quick succession. March saw milder temperatures and cool nights, and with the excellent residual soil moisture allowed perfect conditions for a long gradual ripening of red varieties. The last of the reds were harvested at the start of April. All in all, 2025 will go down as one of the finest vintages in Geographe’s viticultural history, with the wines destined to age gracefully for many years.