“The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon marks the 50th vintage of this wine. On the nose, it gives us all the typical red fruit, bay leaf, maritime salt, saltbush and raspberry characters that we have come to love at this estate. In the mouth, the wine shows the 2021 vintage in that it is lighter-framed and less dense than the 2020 tasted beside it. It's no problem, but it just offers a slightly different drinking experience, more of a "claret" framing than the more supple, succulently weighted 2020. I'd be drinking this sooner than some of the warmer/drier vintages around it.” — Wine Advocate, Apr 2024

“Margaret River Cabernets are remarkable for their combination of elegant structure and juicy fruit flavors, with the best among them demonstrating a particular finesse. Vasse Felix is a pioneer in the region, commanding more than 50 years of winemaking—and, under the leadership of chief winemaker Virginia Willcock, the wines have never been better. The Filius line of Vasse Felix wines is meant to be approachable while young. For this bottling, Margaret River Cabernet is blended with Malbec from estate vineyards. Willcock employs wild-yeast fermentation in open-top fermenters, resulting in expressive aromatics and soft tannins, followed by 11 months of aging in French oak barrels before blending. When Willcock first started experimenting with indigenous fermentation, what she found was ‘mind-blowing,’ with the wines showing more heart, soul and earth than ever before. ‘We’re finding that the wines are more naturally sound,” she says. ‘There is more vibrancy to the fruit.’” — Wine Spectator, Jan 2024