The Verdict is a Cabernet Sauvignon that brings a lot of intensity to the glass, yet bright, high tones. It’s a wine that will please any fan of the ‘new Napa-style’ for its ripeness and texture though it is an astounding value – something Napa can rarely claim. The grapes come from the Shinas Estate in Mildura, located in the northwest corner of the state of Victoria. The summers here are warm, the winters are cool, and very little precipitation falls, making this an easy place to grow grapes, especially late-ripening varieties like Cab.

The grapes are picked on flavor at optimum ripeness, gently crushed and each parcel of fruit is fermented separately on skins for 2-3 weeks with controlled temperature to prevent rapid fermentation retaining fruit flavor. The finished wine is pressed off skins and stored in seasoned oak until it has gone through malolactic fermentation, racked and sulfured and further aged for 2 years before bottling.