The higher altitudes and slower ripening climes of King Valley are a blessing to wine growers. Some of the more fortuitous sites boast soils and aspects which are nothing short of idyllic, yielding harvests of vibrant Cabernet Sauvignon. Gracebrook's Terra rossa Stables Vineyard has been producing high quality, classic cool climate Cabernet wines since inaugural release. Fully fragrant with engaging bouquets and a mouth filling palate, the inaugural vintage burst out of the stable to claim gold medal at the hotly contested Cowra Wine Show.

A half of Cabernet Sauvignon, the balance in Merlot with a judicious measure Malbec, all picked off the original block of Golden Ball vines, separately treated to wild indigenous yeast ferments for retention of varietal eloquence. Components are for rack and returned for malolactic, assembled and filled to an extravagantly high mix of new, Bordeaux coopered French oak for an extended term of eighteen months age. A deeply cryptic Cuvée, defined by savourynes and intensity of opaque fruit, its dark brooding layers unravel as the tannins soften and glow in the glass.

In exceptional years, parcels of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot are separately fermented. The best lots are assembled into a multiple trophy winer named Harry's Monster and treated to an extravagant maturation in the finest oak. Very strong in primary fruit, generosity and mouthfeel, its ripe seed tannins are simply singing in its youth, showing exceptional balance on a long lasting finish.

Gapsted have taken the opportunity to acquire superior harvests, grown to the upper and middle reaches of Valley King, constructing a Cabernet Sauvignon of wonderful warmth, integrity and charm. A component of exquisite Barossa fruit contributes comforting chocolatey richness, a precious parcel from a choice site in Heathcote adds palate weight and splendid savouryness. A whole that's greater than the sum of parts, suede textural mouthfeel, generosity of fruit and sound structure, finishing in precisely the right direction.

Fallen Giants is a reference to local folklore, a canon of indigenous myths about how the Grampians were formed by colossal birds as they struggled for primacy. The auspicious vineyard at Halls Gap contains a superior block of old Cabernet vines which yield less than a tonne and a half per acre. Wrought through the full tradition of old world winemaking techniques, a magnificent construct of Cabernet Sauvignon with imposing ebony fruit characters and dauntless, epic tannins, treat your Fallen Giants to a brew of ox cheek and kipflers, trotters and truffled red wine Jus.

Named for a stylized French stone fountain which stands outside the Portet wineworks, Fontaine is an entirely appropriate adjective for this effortlessly luscious wine. Fontaine Rose is tickled pink, the colour just blushes through the glass, a visually stunning wine with chic and panache, as designed by Monsieur Portet. Parcels of Yarra Valley Merlot and Cabernet infuse the wine with delectable flavours of mixed summer berry, a component of Pyrenees Shiraz adds a sprinkling of revitalizing spice to the lightness of the easy drinking pink style.

From harvests of estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon, assembled off the salubrious Dominique Portet vineyards. The temperate seasons of Yarra Valley allow for complete ripening of fruit, components grown to climes further afield at Heathcote or the Pyreness encourage the development of fragrant pepper spice and the most graceful tannins. The lucky grapes are all hand picked, destemmed and very gently crushed, to be fashioned into a sublimely integrated accord, showing suppleness on the palate after an engaging nose of delicate perfumes.

The winemaking at Dominique Portet has one foot planted firmly in tradition and the other in the latest developments. It is ultimately an empathy for the grape and respect for the shared experiences of winemaking pioneers which drive the Portet wineworks, nestled amongst the flourishing vineyards of Victoria. It is from these propitious sites on the benign aspects of Yarra Valley, that Dominique Portet identifies auspicious parcels, so akin to the peerless quality of harvest that he husbanded during his childhood amongst the vines of Château Lafite.

André was Dominique Portet’s father, role model and mentor. The eigth generation in a distinguished lineage of vigneron, André raised Dominique amongst the world's most sacred vines during his tenure as manager at the illustrious Château Lafite-Rothschild. An assemblage of parcels Cabernet Sauvignon, hand picked and hand sorted from elite blocks in the Pyrenees and Yarra Valley, Andre can only ever be made from the most exceptional vintages.

From one of Yarra Valley's most scenic sites, parcels of intensely favoured Cabernet Sauvignon, picked off fully mature vines, are vinified alongside a harvest of succulent Yarra Valley Merlot. Diamond Valley know from the luscious Bordeaux styles, having shown well at the Melbourne Federation Square Peoples Choice awards. A seamless accord of Cabernet and Merlot, endowed with genteel tannins and splendid length, from a tiny winery that puts quality before quantity.

Deen was a dynamic and energetic De Bortoli, who expanded the winemaking estate founded by his parents. Deen created the Vat Series to make available a range of delicious, full flavoured but approachable wines which drink brilliantly in their youth. Deen personally made the wines and chalked numbers on the vats to identify them. If you like your Cabernet Sauvignon to be easy drinking and highly compatible with good food, full of bright varietal charm and without any gritty tannins or overbearing oak character, then Deen Vat 9 is for you.

Alfred Deakin was Australia's second Prime Minister, he held the office three times in the first decade of Federation. Deakin was a patriot and visionary who understood the importance of a scientific approach to Australian land management. Deakin left his mark on the Murray Darling basin by importing the expertise of California's Chaffey Brothers to prepare the vast inland valley for a century of state of the art agriculture. Deakin Estate Cabernet is a fully approachable and satisfying early syle, brimming with luscious bramble cherry fruit.

A superb construct of Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, crafted from three estate parcels of fully mature, low yielding vines, planted 1987 to 1991 at Dixon's Creek. A highly regional expression of Cabernet, exhibiting profound varietal definition, bursting with dark bramble berry flavours, seasoned by a dusting of cedar and garnish of bushvine leaf. The Victorian of choice to accompany dry aged sirloin with grilled marrow, truffled mash and morelles.

The fruits of growing season 2003, cellared by David Traeger until release, have developed beautifully and speak of a sensational vintage year. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a dash of Petit Verdot, crafted at the Sommerset Crossing Wineworks, matured twelve months under a combination of the finest French Nevers oak hogsheads, followed by an extended term under the Seymour cellars. A complex wine with an earthy palate and evolved, old spice characters, dark berry flavours and well perfumed, red and black currant notes.

Dalwhinnie vineyard was planted to a unique topographical amphitheatre which precipitates its own meso climate. The site is totally frost free and allows fruit to reach complete physiological ripeness in nine out of ten years. This rare confluence of temperate climes, cooler altitudes and parched Pyrenees soils, sublimate into one of Australia's most enduring and distinctive styles of Cabernet Sauvignon. A stunning wine, the overall impression is of ripe pure black fruits, layered with rich dark chocolate and seasoned by notes of violet and camphor.

Vintage 2004 represents twenty consecutive years of fine tuning within the vineyard and throughout the entire winemaking operation. Moonambel 2004 offers a palate and nose of exceptional depth and finesse, rating amongst the finest editions of Cabernet that Dalwhinnie have ever made. The style is fleshier than previous releases, bearing more fruit and tannin, endowed with great freshness and magnificent structure.

The vines at Crawford River were planted from the ground up, with a view to realizing minimal harvests of world class fruit. The auspicious site was originally used for grazing, established to viticulture in 1975, it was generations of cattle and sheep which prepared the land for winegrowing. A rare confluence of soils, limestones, friable basalts and ancient alluvials, form a terroir that's heaven sent for Cabernet Sauvignon. Finely boned, muscular and statuesque, a flagship Victorian effort to rival her siblings from the most regal Cabernet appellations in the world.

Completely dry grown and deliberately low cropped, the vines at Crawford River are stimulated by the chilly surrounds, to slowly ripen parched little berries with a concentration of flavour and the most elegant tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon is the primary black grape, meagre harvests of intensely flavoured fruit, layered with perfumed boysenberry and cassis richness. The holy trinity of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, framed by a measure of refined French oak, its velvetine plum and bramble nature makes Crawford River the perfect match to osso bucco or pink lamb.

Founded by the nation's most renowned wine industry savant, Coldstream Hills is as fastidious today under the stewardship of its highly respected winemakers, as it was in the halcyon days of the emergent Yarra Valley boutique wineries. Vintage conditions permitting, Coldstream Hills releases a special Reserve edition in excruciatingly restricted quantities, assembled from the most exceptional barrels of superior Cabernet Sauvignon. The intensive handling of this princely Cuvée includes the extravagance of new French oak ferments, followed by the luxury of extended maturation.

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, grown to the higher altitudes of fine Yarra Valley vineyards, are deeply enthused by the extended growing seasons, brought about by cooler climes. Such slower ripening conditions encourage layers of intense flavours and varietal complexity. This unlabelled Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon articulates the influence of the region and skill of the winemaker. Outstanding value in a Cleanskin, an effusive wine of ripe varietal blackberry and cassis characters, gentle background oak and measured, disciplined tannins.

Reginald Langdon Buller served in the Australian Navy during both world wars. In 1951 he acquired land at Beverford near Swan Hill for the purpose of expanding his winemaking operations outside of Rutherglen. Following the establishment of new vineyards, a winery and distillery, Buller looked forward to releasing wines under the Beverford label. After many vintages, the mature vines are yielding some of the region's most exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon. Beverford offers great depth, sophistication and weight of fruit in a completely satisfying everyday wine.

Originally formulated by John Charles Brown OBE in 1954 and crafted to this very day in the exact same manner. Mondeuse plantings were brought to Australia in the early 1900s by the legendary Francois de Castella of St Hubert fame, they have remained the most precious parcel of Brown Brothers heirloom vines since the 1920s. At Milawa, Mondeuse translates into an inky, deeply tannic wine, it forms synergies with the sweet fruit plumpness of Shiraz and statuesque elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon to coalesce into a rich, opulent style of eloquence and structure.

A stately Victorian Cabernet Sauvignon and the Brown Brothers flagship, released at five years of age. The most superlative parcels are vinified and assembled each vintage into a powerhouse of a wine with intense blackberry palate and juicy tannins. Fruit is sourced from outstanding sites, the most distinguished old vines in all Victoria, places as far afield as Beechworth, Mornington and Pyrenees. A rich and concentrated, statuesque style of Cabernet Sauvignon, layered with sweet berry flavours and fine oak characters to compliment a long dry finish.

The richness of Shiraz and eloquence of Grenache, together with choice parcels Cabernet, Carignane and Mataro, integrated through the ancient oak barrel Soleras. Brown Brothers Tawny is drawn from a labyrinthine complex of mellowed old vintages stored under the estate cellars in Milawa, and assembled with fruity young wines into a warm nutty and satisfyingly rich old Port.

Blue Pyrenees were established through a no expense spared approach, by two of the wine world's most revered, accomplished and resourced estates. A superior standard of viticulture and exacting vinification techniques were the priority, they remain at the very core of the Blue Pyrenees raison d'etre. An assemblage of exclusively estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Malbec and Shiraz, artfully crafted into a seamless style of vigorously perfumed fruit, finely polished tannins and fragrant, flattering oak.

Blue Pyrenees was established as Chateau Remy in 1963 by Remy Martin of France and has since become well known for their Bordeaux styled Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate was developed under advisement of the great Colin Preece and Maurice O'Shea's Hunter Valley management team. Victoria's Pyrenees have since become renowned for statuesque Cabernet wines, displaying great complexity, superior concentration and definitive regionality. Very few viticultural precincts in Australia can lay claim to doing Cabernet so very well and so consistently.

Orchards flourish and thrive on the unfertile granites of Harcourt Valley. This is wine central for Bendigo's most superior and memorable vintages. The auspicious Blackjack vines are all hand pruned and hand picked, balmy indian summers, cool nights and clear days, permit the grapes to ripen slowly and fully, vintage typically occurs in late April to early May. A sensational and stylish accord of Merlot and Cabernet, somewhat more eloquent, a complex dry red of profound varietal definition and seamless fusion between fruit, tannins and oak.

One of Bendigo's salient marques, a wine of extraordinary personality, built around the prominent tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon, cushioned by the plummy softness from a smaller component of resplendent Merlot. The philosophy at Blackjack is to not interfere with the vinification, in a sense, to let the grapes and vintage do the talking. The overall character is determined by a unique combination of season and environment. A medium weighted, complex dry red with essential varietal definition and seamless fusion between fruit, tannins and oak.

There are few Victorian grown Cabernet Sauvignon as imposing and statuesque as those of Great Western. The parched, ruddy soils and brisk arid climes breed a style of Cabernet as gallant and ornate as the distinguished growths of Tuscany and Bordeaux. Small yields from gnarled old vines, a precious harvest of desiccated little berries, defined by a concentration and intensity of flavour. Its vivid varietal elements of black brambles, currant and cassis, supported by a tapestry of tannins and scented with the exuberant perfumes of violet blossoms, mocha and leaf.

A dry grown, single vineyard, hand crafted Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon. George Berry started his vineyard and orchard in 1862 on the banks of Carapooee Creek. Whilst some rootstock 110 to 140 years old can still be found, today's Berry Bridge are the fruit of plantings by Jane Holt and Roger Milner. Milner developed his passion for viticulture after several vintages at Chateau Reynella in the 1970s. He joined forces with Holt BAppSc(WineSc) & AssocDegAppSc(Wine-growing), and happily took on the challenge of re-developing the site.

Bannockburn was established with a view to treating the vineyard as the engine of great wines, to maximise the potential of the site and to achieve a genuine expression of the vineyard from vintage to vintage. In essence to capture the terroir of the place. Bannockburn is never a reflection of market fashion or trends. An exquisite assemblage of Cabernet and Merlot in opulent Bordelais styling, with an exemplary integration of pencilled oak, artisanally dovetailed fruit, splendidly drying acids and compassionate, supporting tannins.

Balgownie Cabernet Sauvignon always attracts attention, displaying the elusive holy grail of exemplary varietal definition with distinctive Bendigo regionality, a tradition which has positioned Balgownie as one of Victoria's most cherished Cabernet wines. Balgownie have established a reputation for being long lived whilst offering the ripeness of fruit to provide immense drinking pleasure on release. All grapes are from estate vines well over twenty five years of age, the earliest planted in 1969, grown to rich Bendigo soils, the secret of Balgownie's success.

The Daisy Hill district thrived throughout the 1850s, due to its location along the main route to and from gold fields. The Amherst property sits atop old alluvial tailings, ancient diggings can still be seen around the property dressed in rich quartz soils. The highly sought wines pay tribute to the heritage surrounding the vineyard. Amherst distinguishes its exceptional vintages, naming them after regional folklore, such as an escaped convict who was the first to cultivate local land, or the ancient Chinese market gardens, which dispensed fresh produce to the gold fields of yesteryear.