Sixth-generation winery Yalumba has released the 2018 vintage of its award-winning Caley wine.
This is the sixth vintage of the Caley to be released by Yalumba, with 2018 heralding the first release of the Caley’s 2012 vintage. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz wine reflects Yalumba’s dedication to the quintessentially Australian blend.
Yalumba winemaker Kevin ‘KG’ Glastonbury, described 2018 as “a strong vibrant vintage. It delivered a superb and balanced crop with good canopies. An extended ripening period allowed us to get perfect flavour development without having to rush.”
The Caley 2018 is a blend of 80 per cent Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 per cent Barossa Shiraz, built for cellaring but equally able to be enjoyed upon release.
“The Caley 2018 exemplifies the blend of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and Barossa Shiraz, showing beautifully defined aromatics, richness and concentration,” Glastonbury described.
In February, the Caley 2018 was awarded the highest honours at the Great Australian Red competition in Adelaide. The Caley previously won the award in 2014, 2015 and 2022, making it the first wine to receive the top honour four separate times.
Fifth-generation proprietor Robert Hill-Smith was particularly excited by the vintage.
“Having followed the development of the wine since 2018, I cannot help but be excited about this release. It was an even ripening season, delivering fruit with fine tannins, natural acidity and strong varietal flavours. We had many options for our blend, but our Coonawarra Cabernet block was exceptional this year, with fine attention to detail from our viticultural team,” said Hill-Smith.
“This has been beautifully balanced with the elegance of Shiraz grown in our Horseshoe block next to the winery,” he added.
The Caley is named after Fred Caley Smith, grandson of Yalumba’s founder Samuel Smith. Smith undertook an international research journey from 1893 to 1894, spanning South Asia, the Middle East, the UK, Europe, and the US. Each vintage of the Caley spotlights a leg of his cross-continental voyage, with this release commemorating Smith’s time in Portugal in March 1894.
The wine will be available for purchase from 1 June 2023.