Cabernet Franc 2019

Gold Medal - New York International Wine & Spirits
Wine Club Member Price $31.23
Wine Specs
Vintage
2019
Varietal
Cabernet Franc
Appellation
Okanagan Valley
Harvest Date
October 17-27, 2019
Sugar
0.71 g/l
Acid
5.6 g/l
pH
3.86
Aging
The 2019 Cabernet Franc will develop for well over a decade. Drink now through 2029.
Alcohol %
14.5
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby red in colour with flecks of indigo woven together in the glass. The alluring scent of cherry pie, black tea and lavender captivate your senses with the first pull of the cork. Your taste buds open with the flavours of rich toffee, freshly baked pie crust and cherry preserves. This medium bodied wine with bold tannin surprises your palate with bright, sweet flavour and finishes with smooth vanilla and oak.
Vineyard Notes
The 2019 winter brought extremes: warm 12° January days to lows of - 22° and lots of snow in February. When the buds started pushing, we noted that the colder months had resulted in a bit of bud and vine death in our Naramata Bench Vineyards. Bud burst was two weeks later than average due to the long winter. The beginning of Okanagan spring was one of the driest on record. However, by the end of June, the valley saw a cooling trend that lasted through most of July and brought much precipitation. At the end of July, the real Okanagan summer started with hot sunny days and little precipitation. The grapes soaked in the summer heat and quickly made up for lost time. Variation in our reds happened right on schedule. September was wetter than usual. October was dry with 15° days and 2 to 6° nights. On October 9th, a -4° frost dropped the leaves in most of our vineyards. After the frost, the weather was perfect to hang the fruit until the end of October, with all the remaining vineyards achieving the right amount of favour, sugar, and acid. No Floods. No Smoke. Overall, it was a low tonnage year with excellent ripe fruit across all varietals in our vineyards.
Production Notes
92% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker Notes
Traditional Bordeaux vinification techniques have been used to create an elegant and age-worthy Cabernet Franc. For each of the component lots, bunches were handpicked and sorted in the vineyard. The berries were crushed separately and cold soaked for two days before fermentation. Malolactic fermenta-tion occurred in barrel over the winter and finished in the spring of the following year. The wines from each vineyard lot were kept separate in 30% new oak and a combination of two to three year old French oak barrels for twenty one months. Our Cabernet Franc was further developed in bottle for twelve months prior to release.
Other Notes
The 2019 Cabernet Franc will develop for well over a decade. Drink now through 2030.