Lake's Folly Cabernets 2017 750ml

A Rare Hunter Valley Cabernets with cassis, fine tannins and graceful maturity.

About The Wine

Lake’s Folly Cabernets 2017 is a beautifully mature Hunter Valley red from one of Australia’s most historic boutique wineries. Made in the classic Lake’s Folly style, it is elegant, medium bodied and finely structured, showing Cabernet character without excessive weight.

The 2017 vintage has earned strong praise, with Halliday describing it as only 13% alcohol, yet full of juicy cassis and stone fruit tannins, calling it one of the all time great Follys. The winery’s own vintage note highlights fresh clean berry fruit, a smooth seamless palate, soft tannins, great length and excellent ageing potential.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Cassis, redcurrant, dark cherry, violets, cedar, tobacco leaf and gentle savoury spice.

Palate: Medium bodied, smooth and finely balanced with fresh red and black berry fruit, elegant acidity, soft tannins and subtle oak.

Finish: Long, clean and persistent with lingering cassis, cedar, spice and classic Hunter Valley savoury detail.

Collector’s Note

This is a serious collector bottle from one of Australia’s most historic boutique wineries. The 2017 vintage is especially notable, with Halliday calling it one of the all time great Follys. Its balance, modest alcohol, ageing potential and limited availability make it a standout for collectors of mature Australian Cabernet blends

Halliday Wine Companion - 98 Points 

A classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Petit Verdot, hand-picked, berry-sorted by hand, cultured yeast, 7 days on skins, matured for 18 months in French oak (30% new). Only 13% alcohol, but gloriously juicy cassis and stone fruit tannins. The paradox is a blazing hot summer and one of the all-time great Follys. Drink to 2047. James Halliday

Serving Suggestions

Decant for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Best enjoyed at around 16 to 18 degrees with roast lamb, grilled steak, duck, mushroom dishes, aged cheddar, slow cooked beef or rich tomato based dishes.

About The Winery

Lake’s Folly is one of the great names of the Hunter Valley and a landmark in Australian wine history. Established in 1963 by Doctor Max Lake, it is widely recognised as Australia’s first boutique winery, created at a time when small, quality focused estate wineries were still rare in this country. The estate became known for distinctive, long lived wines that reflected its Pokolbin vineyard site rather than following fashion.

The winery has long been revered for its Cabernets, an unusual and deeply respected style in the Hunter Valley. While the region is often associated with Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz, Lake’s Folly has shown for decades that Cabernet based blends can thrive in the Lower Hunter when handled with restraint, balance and care. Halliday Wine Companion notes that Lake’s Folly has long been revered for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, with terroir and climate producing a distinct wine style.

The Cabernets are traditionally built around Cabernet Sauvignon, supported by varieties such as Merlot, Shiraz and Petit Verdot depending on the vintage. The result is not a heavy, blockbuster red, but a graceful, cellar worthy Australian Cabernet blend with perfume, savoury complexity and fine tannin structure.

Today, Lake’s Folly remains one of the Hunter Valley’s most collectible producers, valued for limited releases, estate character and wines that mature beautifully over time.

Cellaring Potential

Lake’s Folly Cabernets 2017 is drinking beautifully now, especially with decanting, but it still has further ageing potential. Enjoy now to 2037 under excellent storage conditions. With time, the wine should continue developing notes of cedar, leather, tobacco, dried herbs, earth and savoury spice while retaining its cassis and fine tannin structure..

Details

Producer: Lake’s Folly
Vintage: 2017
Variety: Cabernet blend
Region: Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Bottle Size: 750ml
Style: Medium bodied red wine
ABV: 13%
Cellaring: Now to 2037 under excellent conditions