Every wine lover should be able to enjoy their wines in the ideal conditions, as originally intended by the winemaker. What we have done here at Sweetwater, is hold back our beautiful wines from as old as 2005, to release only when we feel the wines are truly singing their best songs.
Cellaring wines whether it be at home, in a specialised wine storage facility, or a premium wine cabinet, we think most wine enthusiasts are starting to understand that there is an art (and science) to mastering the cellaring process to ensure the wines are not spoiled during this ageing.
So, why do it? It’s time consuming…surely you can simply buy older wines – right? Well, typically it’s not the case as most wineries simply don’t have the room to hold back dozens, and dozens of wines to later release when they’re perfectly aged and the wine is thought to be at its prime.
We are very lucky to have a purpose-built facility to do just that for you: Age wines in a special temperature-controlled underground cellar. Positioned underneath our beautiful chateau on the Sweetwater property, it’s allowed us to take all the guesswork out of cellaring our wines. Ageing our red wines allows the rich, ripe tannins to slowly soften, adding further complexity to develop in the wine. The natural acidity within the reds (be it our cabernet or shiraz) further allow these wines to easily age for 10-15+ years without any worry of the fruit becoming tired and less vibrant.
Some of our best wines to look out for, that we’ve cellared for you in advance are our 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2014 Shiraz. Both under screw cap, these wines are noted as still having 10+ years of the ‘good life’ ahead of them, but our team are super proud and excited for you to try them with good company now.
2010 Cabernet – “An aged release of purity, immense vibrancy and the pleasures of a hearth, fire and creased leather armchair, incarnate as liquid. Thoroughly rewarding. 96 points” – Ned Goodwin MW, Halliday Wine Companion.
2014 Shiraz – “Bright crimson; has nailed the '14 vintage with its vibrant medium-bodied array of red and black fruits, a balanced infusion of earth, spice and leather, and a long, graceful palate. 96 points” – James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion.
We’ve done this, and continue to, just so when the time is right and we believe the wines are in perfect balance, we’ll share them with you, for you to sing along.