Vilafonté Series C 2020



Growing on the estate’s namesake vilfontes soils, low yields from high-density plantings deliver concentrated pearls of flavour. This is premium fruit reared for luxury red winemaking. Vilafonté Series C 2020 has just a touch more cabernet sauvignon than 2019, the blend comprising of cabernet (58%), merlot (24%), malbec (10%) and cabernet franc (8%). Hand-harvested the wine was aged for 22 months in new French oak (68%) with the remainder maturing in old oak. Immediately fragrant with red hibiscus, violets, black tea, incense and a mix of crushed red and black plums, cassis; this ebullience is sheathed in Cedar toast and ribbons of cinnamon, vanilla spice. The aromatics smoothly tunnel into the succulent palate. At first overt with maraschino cherries, this sun-kissed glow recedes into black cherries, blackcurrant on the mid-palate, growing tonally darker to the edges with cherry-pip moreishness. Full and rich, the fruit is encased in a dusting of velvet tannins going to classic savoury dryness on the finish. Luxury drinking for sure, but with its modern, lifted aesthetic promising pleasure now as well as another decade of development to come. (96) ML