This Cabernet Sauvignon revels in the kind of layered complexity that only old vines can deliver — deep, concentrated black fruits and a full spectrum of classic Cabernet characters. Think cassis, blackberry and loganberry, mingling with dark olive, tilled earth, bay leaf, clove and fresh herbs, all wrapped in fine-grained tannins and supported by a gentle thread of cedary oak. It gets the pulse racing — it is that good.
This project is the brainchild of Tobias Ansted (winemaker at Tellurian Wines) and Simon Osicka (from Paul Osicka Wines), two winemakers who have spent the better part of a decade tasting and talking wine together. When an opportunity came up to source fruit from some of the oldest vines at Balgownie Estate, they jumped in — no business plan, no label, just a shared respect for the historic significance of these plantings and a deep love for age-worthy, medium-bodied Central Victorian Cabernet — a style that peaked in the 1980s but remains timeless to those who know.
For Tobias, it was personal. He was once Senior Winemaker at Balgownie, following in the footsteps of Stuart Anderson and Lindsay Ross, and knows both the site and the people tending it today inside out. For Simon, it was a chance to work alongside a friend — and maybe tell the story in the third person for fun — while recalling the magic of a 1982 Balgownie Cabernet shared with mates at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld back in 1998.
Between them, they bring over 74 vintages of experience across some of Australia’s and the world’s most respected cellars. And, like Asterix and Obelix, they discovered their different skills are surprisingly complementary — especially when good wine, good company and maybe a bit of pork are involved. Serious about the craft, but never so serious they forget to enjoy the ride.
This Cabernet hails from Balgownie’s original Maiden Gully plantings at Bendigo, first laid down in 1970 by Stuart Anderson on the old gold-bearing alluvial clay loam of Myers Creek. Vines are on their own roots, rows running north-south for balanced sun exposure. Originally flood irrigated, the vineyard now relies on minimal drip irrigation and a laid-back VSP trellis that leaves a few shoots to sprawl, naturally shading the bunches.
The wine was made at Paul Osicka Wines in Graytown, in the eastern pocket of the Heathcote Wine Region. Handpicked fruit was chilled overnight, then handled without pumping and carefully sorted before and after the destemmer — producing pristine, near 100% whole berries. The must was left largely untouched for five days to encourage some carbonic lift before wild fermentation kicked in. From there, gentle plunging and rack-and-returns carried the wine to dryness, followed by post-ferment maceration, for a total of 24 days on skins. It was then pressed to tight-grained French oak (about 20% new) and matured for 14 months before its first racking and bottling.
A classic old vine Central Victorian Cabernet — layered, age-worthy, medium bodied and made for those who know there were plenty of great things about the 1980s. Not just big hair and Rick Astley — the West Indies were unbeatable at cricket, and Bendigo Cabernet was quietly setting the benchmark. Here’s hoping both return to glory.
