Woodlands Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Matthew’ 2014

Founders David Watson and wife Heather had spectacular success with the cabernets he made in ’79 and the early ’80s. Commuting from Perth while raising a family became too much and for some years the grapes from Woodlands were sold to other Margaret River producers. With the advent of sons Stuart and Andrew in ’02–05 (Stuart primarily responsible for winemaking), the estate bounced back to pre-eminence, expanding with the purchase of the 17ha Woodlands Brook Vineyard in ’07. The top-end wines primarily come from the original Woodlands Vineyard, where the now-certified organic vines are 50+yr.

This wine was harvested between 25th of March and the 9th of April, yielding 6.21 tonnes per hectare. After being picked, the fruit was destemmed before passing over our vibrating sorting table. Once sorted and crushed, this wine was fermented in small closed fermenters. Following fermentation, the Cabernet Sauvignon must remained on skins for 28 days before being pressed for the secondary malolactic fermentation to occur. Afterwards, the wine was transferred into new French medium toast barrels to mature for 19 months. This wine is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc.

The colour is intense deep crimson. The nose is expressive and powerful, showing primary Cabernet characters of blackcurrant, mulberry and dark cherry combined with tight grained French oak. On opening the palate is dense, but shows great balance and finesse. There is a lovely softness and suppleness to the palate that overlays a powerful core of old vine Cabernet fruit. Hints of vanilla, mint and bay leaf emerge and combine with the primary fruit flavours as the wine opens up over the first hour. Given enough air and time, the tannins soften and the wine opens up to reveal more nuance, but still at this stage maintaining its youthful power. All 2014’s from Woodlands show the generosity of the vintage, and our Cabernet Sauvignon shows it most of all. This wine takes you straight to the Woodlands cellar, where you can smell the barrels being racked and washed, and the must being pressed – this wine still maintains the primacy it had straight off the press.

Jane Anson ‘Inside Bordeaux’

Woodlands Cab Sav Matthew 2014 – 97 / 100 Points

94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc

Another excellent vintage in the region with even and idyllic weather. From my tastings over time, 2014 Cabernets have aged wonderfully. No exception here.

Perfectly ripe plum and dark cherry lead an elegant and restrained aromatic opening, followed by subtle vanilla bean and black forest cake. A good swirl of the glass doesn’t move things much initially – a good sign – but with some coaxing comes notes of gentle tilled earth, roast tomato, sea salt, blackcurrant, tobacco and delicate graphite. This feels solid and coiled, still wanting time in cellar to unfurl.

The palate holds the same tight feel with evident restrained power and intensity. Plum, cedar, vanilla bean, blackcurrant, tomato paste, and forrest cake are coiled within ribbons of youthful stacked tannins. The acidity cutting through it all and bringing freshness through very long length. This is remarkably youthful. It’s a wine of great complexity, structure and length still with ten years plus ahead of it.

– Tom Kline (25th March 2025).