Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Samuel Smith planted the first vines at Angaston in 1849, and six generations later the Hill-Smith family still controls every decision — including the choice to make every wine in the portfolio, from this Y Series to The Caley, 100% vegan since the 2012 vintage, eliminating all animal-derived fining agents across the range. That consistency of principle is the Y Series' quiet credential.

The fruit draws on Barossa Valley floor sites — warm, low-elevation, with the deep alluvial soils that push Cabernet Sauvignon toward plush dark-fruit concentration rather than the leaner, more angular profile of cooler-climate Australian Cabernet. The heat retention of the valley floor accelerates phenolic ripeness, producing soft, approachable tannin structure.

Winemaking follows the house's minimal-intervention philosophy: open-top fermentation, with the same wild/spontaneous fermentation approach used to initiate premium-tier reds. Oak treatment is restrained at this tier, preserving primary fruit character. No animal-derived fining agents are used at any production level.

What separates this from category peers at the price point is institutional lineage: the Y Series is made under the same roof — and the same cooperage — as Octavius and The Caley, giving it access to winemaking infrastructure that no other sub-฿1,000 Australian Cabernet can claim.

Drink on release through 3–4 years for primary fruit freshness.