Healesville, Yarra Valley

Cabernet Franc

13.2%

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Fruit taken from our ‘Belaradah’ Vineyard which is on the north-east facing slope at the beginning of Long Gully. Moderately deep clay soils over mudstone this is our first vineyard to receive sun in the morning but also the first to be receive relief from the late afternoon sun as it sets behind the slope. The Cabernet Franc was originally planted in 2006 as a Bordeaux field blend on 101-14 rootstock. Vigour is moderate and canopy is well regulated while yields are good and constant averaging around 5t/ha. Berry size is always very small with thick skins bringing great concentration to the fruit. 

The 2022 ‘Franc’ was picked very early on a cool morning of the 30th of March. The fruit was gently destemmed and placed in a fermenter. Fermentation took about 11 days to begin with only a few buckets of juice to wet the cap daily during this time. Once fermentation began punch downs were done by hand up to three times a day. Fermentation was slow and at a low temperature with the total time on skins being 30 days. Once pressed and settled the wine completed 18 months of elevage in old 225L French barriques. Racked cleanly out of barrel to settle for two weeks before being bottled with a minimal addition of sulphur on the 30th of October 2023 - unfined and unfiltered. 

- Alessandro Stefani