Nose
Aromas of ripe red raspberries, cranberry preserves & sweet peppers with underlying notes of eucalyptus.
Palate
Silky red fruits glide across the palate with a smooth framework of tannins that lead to a long, umami finish.
Growing Conditions
The Cabernet Franc is located at the foot of our Western block. These vines were first planted by the original site owner in the early 1980s, we interplanted amongst these old vines & extended this block in 2013 & 2016. Our Cabernet Franc Reserve is composed of grapes from the oldest vines of this site. The overall soil consists of clay, is very iron rich, deep & fertile. Rocky deposits throughout the site range from small 2-6 inch sizes up to rocks a few feet wide!
We enjoyed a dry spring & warm, midsummer rains that led into unseasonably hot weather in the fall. The heat & periodic rainstorms had us pivoting to make some unique & quick harvesting decisions in order to preserve the acidity of the rapidly ripening grapes. Due to the heat, the phenolic compounds in the grapes were very developed, giving us ripe, juicy fruit flavors & lusciously bodied wines- a bit of a diversion from the leaner styles our cool climate region typically produces.
Harvest
We harvested cabernet franc on October 12, 2022.
Winemaking
The grapes are destemmed, & crushed with 18 days maceration during fermentation in the Ganimede tank which allows for gentle color & tannin extraction. The skins were then removed & fermentation continued for an additional 8 days. The wine aged for 12 months in a mix of 2nd use & neutral oak. The resulting barrels were blended, bottled & aged prior to release.
Appearance
A beautiful garnet color.
Food Pairing
Tomato Basil Cheddar, Gorgonzola, Braised Short Rib, Lamp Chops
