2021 Cabernet Franc

The Story: Overshadowed by its progeny the more widely planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc’s virtues far exceed the shade in which it has been cast. Its history goes back way further than the worlds ‘King Cab’. Its origins may lie in the Basque country, Spain, but it was already widely cultivated in Bordeaux by the 18th century. Its dominant plantings in the much cooler Loire Valley have seen it produce the distinctive varietal characteristics it is known for.

Winemaking Description: Hand Picked from our Monica Vineyard at Lethbridge. Wine was fermented in half ton picking bins with foot stomping to facilitate gentle tannin extraction. Matured in old oak for 12 months to preserve the aromatic nuances and fresh fruit.

The Wine: Earthy, savory, red fruits, and chalky tannins. Up here in the Moorabool Valley it gets the cooler environment it needs to produce the fragrant lusciousness that makes Cabernet Franc “the gardeners’ Cabernet”.

"This wine is delicious. Mouthwatering, characterful, juicy and free-flowing, but with shape as well, and texture. All the boxes ticked, all the pretty flavours. Dust, bunches of herbs, boysenberry, tobacco and forest berries, and a winter-sun aspect. It’s ripe in terms of there being a complete absence of hardness or bitterness, but it’s a water-colour wine, with an emphasis on the ‘tobacco and berries infused with smoke’ aspect." 93 Points 

Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front