Devil's Lair, Margaret River

Phil Sexton established Devil’s Lair in 1985, with his first vineyard plantings in 1981. The vineyards are located on varying Margaret River soils from pockets of gravelly loams – ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, to loamy soils especially suited to Chardonnay. The vines are all trellised on a simple vertically shoot positioned system, mostly in protected north-easterly aspects. The fruit is machine and hand picked depending on site and wine style. Stuart Pym harvests on optimum ripeness and flavour development that can mean varying fruit profiles to increase complexity and blending options.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is fermented in static, stainless steel and pump-over tanks at relatively warm ferments. Fifty per cent of the blend is given extended skin maceration before being drained and pressed into 50% new and 50% 1-year-old oak for a period of 2 years. The Cabernet Sauvignon, which comprises a proportion of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot is emerging as a definitive southern Margaret River style with pure cassis black chocolate aromas, touches of mint and long sinewy tannins. The 2-year-and-older barrels are used for Devil’s Lair’s Fifth Leg brand.

The Chardonnay is classically made with 30% of the handpicked fruit whole-bunch pressed. The juice is cold settled before barrel fermentation in new French oak. Regular battonage, extended lees contact and 11 months maturation in new oak completes the picture. Devil’s Lair is now fully owned by the Fosters Group. The Chardonnay is brilliantly focused, with all the signs of cellaring potential and represents great value at this level of quality.