Byron & Harold Rags to Riches Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 (Margaret River) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely, vegan-friendly Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River in Western Australia and made its debut at the LCBO in the August 1 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Byron & Harold, a wine company that was founded in the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia in 2012 by Paul Byron and Harold (Ralph) Dunning. After a combined 60+ years in the fine wine business, Paul and Ralph came together to create Byron & Harold with a solemn pledge to find, package, and share the wine they love with all who share their appreciation of the romance, the history, the sheer pleasure fine wine brings to a shared meal.

Based in Western Australia, Byron & Harold focuses on producing wines from Margaret River and Great Southern, cool-climate winegrowing regions that benefit from their southerly latitudes and strong maritime influences. The winemaking philosophy at Byron & Harold begins in the vineyard as they seek out the best parcels of fruit in Western Australia in order to craft wines that wine lovers want to drink. Wines are crafted with flavours that are true to their variety and have provenance that reflects their origins.

Today, Margaret River is known for its outstanding viticulture, wine production, and international tourism, and as the leading wine region of Western Australia, it is respected and enjoys a reputation that is recognised around the world. Situated along the westerly coastal strip of southwestern Australia, Margaret River enjoys a Mediterranean-influenced maritime climate, with average annual rainfall of roughly 1,100 mm and the moderating influence of the Indian Ocean. The region's ideal winegrowing conditions include good winter rains to replenish soil moisture, warm summer days, long sunshine hours, and cooling sea breezes during the ripening period. This combination of maritime influences and diverse, well-drained soils helps produce consistently high-quality fruit with intense flavours.

This Cabernet Sauvignon is from Byron & Harold's "Rags to Riches" collection, a range of premium wines crafted using fruit from their vineyards in Margaret River. The name pays homage to the immigrants who arrived in Margaret River after the First World War. The Western Australian Government encouraged migrants to settle in the region and establish farms, and by 1922, more than 100 settlers had arrived. From humble beginnings and the challenges of carving out a living from the native bushland, Margaret River has evolved into one of Australia's—and the world's—most respected winegrowing regions, making the "Rags to Riches" name particularly fitting.

To craft this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the fruit was harvested during the cool hours of the early morning. Upon arriving at the winery, the grapes were delicately crushed into static fermenters and inoculated with cultured yeast to begin fermentation. To extract colour, flavour, and tannins, while also encouraging aeration, pump-overs were conducted twice daily. After fermentation was complete, the wine was aged in French oak barriques until September 2024. The various parcels were then blended in tank and allowed to settle before undergoing light fining and filtration prior to bottling.

The 2023 vintage in Margaret River featured optimal, dry conditions, and mild weather that allowed for gentle and consistent ripening across all varieties. Budburst and vine development were delayed by about two to three weeks due to lower-than-average winter temperatures, but good fruit set resulted in healthy, and ultimately higher, yields. Although the spring growing season started slowly, summer brought glorious conditions, with consistent warmth in January allowing vine development to catch up. Ideal ripening conditions, combined with minimal disease pressure, produced inky, dense, and intense Cabernet Sauvignons with very fine tannin structure. Described as a once-in-a-decade vintage of the highest quality, let's see how this 2023 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

BYRON & HAROLD RAGS TO RICHES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2023 - Vegan, Margaret River, Western Australia (#50142) (XD) - $23.95
Screw cap enclosure. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon has lovely, fragrant, and open aromatics of medium-high to high intensity featuring ripe black & red currants, grilled herbs, blackberry, black cherry, evergreen, smoky oak, graphite, and spice aromas with earthy undertones in a complex profile. On the dry, ripe, and medium-full bodied palate it has plummy, black currant, black cherry, blackberry, evergreen herbs, oak spice, graphite, and savoury earth flavours, all supported by fresh and juicy acidity. Smooth, ripe tannins have good structure and a slightly youthful mouthfeel. Well-balanced throughout with sweet fruit notes on the mid-palate leading to graphite, spice, and savoury earth on the long, balanced finish. Enjoy into the mid-2030s. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines by Byron & Harold can be ordered through their Agent - Kylix Wines.