2024 Nocturne Sheoak Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

When a winemaker with Julian Langworthy's trophy cabinet quietly suggests that this might be the best Single Vineyard Cabernet he has ever made, we sit up and pay attention.

The 2024 vintage was famously hot and challenging across much of Western Australia. Yet, Julian notes that his coastal Sheoak vineyard in Yallingup sat in a bizarrely perfect "Goldilocks" zone. While others were rushing, he was able to pause, wait for absolute tannin ripeness, and pick pristine fruit from the best part of the slope on April 7th.

The fruit spent 14 days on skins before being pressed to tank, then transferred to a mix of new (25%) and seasoned French oak for 16 months. Only the absolute top-performing barrels were selected for the final SV blend.

The result is a darkly coloured but wonderfully ethereal Cabernet. It is a masterclass in medium-bodied elegance, built on a ridiculously silky, effortless tannin structure. Expect a driving core of dark fruit, soaring high notes of cassis, and a beautiful frame of warm spice.

It is dangerously accessible right out of the gate, but if you can manage to hide a few bottles away for 5 to 8 years, you are going to be handsomely rewarded.

96 points
“In the mouth, the wine is structurally firm, populated by succulent Cabernet fruit, and pliable in texture. There are notes of dried bay and tobacco, graphite, lead pencil and blackcurrant pastille. It is really good.”
- Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)