About The Pack
Mac Forbes believes the Yarra Valley's best wine is, in fact, the Cabernet blend , rather than Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.
He's been inspired by the likes of Mount Mary where he worked for many years, and this blend, named after Mac's father Hugh, is every bit the highly fragrant, medium-bodied and elegant style of Bordeaux blend the region is famous for.
Here you can taste three outstanding vintages of the Hugh Cabernet blend and get a glimpse at the way this excellent regional expression ages.
This is a Different Drop exclusive pack and only available in limited quantities.
2018 Mac Forbes Hugh Cabernet Blend
A unique iteration of the Hugh, the 2018 Cabernets come from grey loam soils in Gruyere.
The cool wet winter, followed by a hot growing season has yielded a plusher fruit profile that makes this wine quite approachable in its youth, but will also age elegantly.
Reminiscent of classic old-world Cabernet, the 2018 Hugh sings with bright leafy aromatics, a silty tannin backbone and a savoury finish.
Read more about 2018 Mac Forbes Hugh Cabernet Blend2016 Mac Forbes Hugh Cabernet Blend
This Bordeaux blend is from Yarra Glen on a similarly aged block to that of the Gruyere site. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and is complimented by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.
2016 was a year that tested the vine and tested us. Ripening was condensed in a manner we have not witnessed and freshness came and went in a blink. So with all our picking crews working overtime, not to mention the staff in the winery, we went to work and didn’t stop until the last grape was squeezed to barrel.
However, its becoming very exciting that we have sites that can and do cope with such an array of seasonal challenges.
Read more about 2016 Mac Forbes Hugh Cabernet Blend2013 Mac Forbes Hugh Cabernet Blend
The growing season of vintage 2013 started well with budburst for Chardonnay mid-September. This trend continued through spring with vines using stored moisture well into November. By December however, we were looking for moisture.
In addition to this, temperatures were considerably up in January having 14 days over 30oC and multiple peaks over 39oC. This was accompanied by just 3.6mm of recorded rainfall (effectively none). The trend continued into February with 17 days over 30oC combined with the bare minimum amount of rain.
The high temperatures and lack of water meant we saw early veraison and vines push their fruit to maturity very quickly, this resulted in one of the most compressed vintages of recent times.
Read more about 2013 Mac Forbes Hugh Cabernet Blend