The Colonial Estate Etranger Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

The Barossa Valley is a store of old vines coupled with an extended number of grape varieties that produce ripe, fruity, modern wines.

The prime terroir that makes up the ‘Northern Arc' of the Barossa Valley lends itself to the production of Cabernet Sauvignon – particularly the area around Greenoack where one finds red clay. Handpicked grapes are given the full triage treatment and rotation pumped during fermentation before being aged in French and American oak. Inky black, deep flavored wine.

Selected blocks of single-wire trellis vines from Greenock and the surrounding regions of Marananga and Stockwell in the Barossa Valley were blended for this wine. Viticultural techniques included minimal irrigation, low cropping and canopy management to maximise fruit maturation under optimum conditions. When judged flavor-ripe the grapes were handpicked into shallow trays.

There's impressive structure here but the wine is bursting with lush, sweet dark fruit flavors.