Producer
When David and Heather Watson first established Woodlands in 1973, they were amongst the first six pioneers to plant vineyards in Margaret River and can certainly claim to have helped establish the region’s reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon. With the addition of a second vineyard site, purchased in 1998, the Watson family now have 25 hectares of vineyard in the Wilyabrup valley, which is maintained by hand using traditional and organic methods and without irrigation – a rarity in this arid corner of Australia. A true family affair, son Stuart is the winemaker and Andrew is in charge of operations. Five red stars from Halliday and an ‘Outstanding’ rating for the Cabernet Sauvignon from Langton’s identify Woodlands as one of the very best producers in the region.
Vineyard
The grapes are sourced from vineyard plots in the Wilyabrup Valley, planted on sandy loam and white clay soils.
Winery
Some of the bunches were gently destemmed, using a state of the art vibrating destemmer, whilst a proportion of the bunches were left whole. After pressing and racking, fermentation was carried out in French oak barrels using only wild yeast. Following fermentation, fifty percent of the wine was transferred to tank, with the remainder left to mature in oak barrels for seven months.
Awards
Silver Medal, Sommelier Wine Awards 2019
