Knappstein Enterprise Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 (1500ml)

Enterprise is the flagship label for Knappstein, first introduced with the 1994 vintage. The 1999 Enterprise Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 91% cabernet sauvignon and 9% malbec from the Enterprise Vineyard, planted in 1969 at the northern end of the Clare Valley. 

"The deep crimson colour and impenetrable black centre of the 1999 Enterprise cabernet are indicative of the low-yielding, dry-grown Clare Valley vines that produce it. The depth is also attributable to the varieties used. While it's labelled as cabernet, it contains 9% malbec, a recipe Clare producers have long plied with great success. The palate is rich, generous and harmonious, with juicy currants followed by waves of dark fruit and charry oak flavours held together nicely by ripe tannins that lead to a lingering finish. It's surprisingly soft and approachable, yet it has potential to come together and develop further complexity."  Divine Food & Wine Magazine

The vines are dry-grown on red loam soils and speak profoundly of a sense of place, producing grapes with a harmonious balance between strength and elegance. The wine is fermented in a mix of open and closed fermenters, and spent 18 months in a mix of predominantly French oak (10 per cent new) and a touch of American oak. 

Expert reviews

"Medium to full red-purple; smooth, almost glossy, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit on the bouquet is replicated with the same ripe cassis flavours, then powerful tannins take over; needs a decade. Best drinking: 2004 to 2014."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 90 points

"The deep crimson colour and impenetrable black centre of the 1999 Enterprise cabernet are indicative of the low-yielding, dry-grown Clare Valley vines that produce it. The depth is also attributable to the varieties used. While it's labelled as cabernet, it contains 9% malbec, a recipe Clare producers have long plied with great success. The nose shows a mix of dark berry and currant aromas with herbal watts that are more floral, almost lavender-like, rather than the usual mint. The palate is rich, generous and harmonious, with juicy currants followed by waves of dark fruit and charry oak flavours held together nicely by ripe tannins that lead to a lingering finish. It's surprisingly soft and approachable, yet it has potential to come together and develop further complexity with another five years bottle age."  Divine Food & Wine Magazine

"Rich, powerful aromas with complex aged characters underpinned by a strong wood influence. A stylish cabernet with plenty of developed nuances emerging on the long, firmly structured palate."  ★★★★  Winestate Magazine