Blend: 100% Cabernet Franc
Analysis:
Alcohol: 14% | PH: 3.75 | Titratable acidity: 5.53 g/L
Bottling Date: August 2020
Cellaring: 5+ years
Tasting Notes:
A fresh, pure and vibrant Cabernet Franc showing currants, plum and blueberry with notes of dried flowers and fresh violet and complex paprika, clove, orange zest, sage and dark chocolate. The palate is dry and quite full for Cabernet Franc with lots of vanilla and toast, crisp juicy acidity and structured tannins for aging with intense cassis, blackberry, blueberry and black cherry flavours that linger on the long finish. Pair this with beet steaks with crispy onions or roast venison with sage and currant sauce.
Rhys Pender, Master of Wine
Wine Making:
2018 was a moderate growing season that started with an earlier budbreak and a warmer than average May. The season cooled during the summer months and rebounded with favourable September and October temperatures. The cooperative weather allowed us to retain acidity and provide quality fruit with increased crop levels. While the sun and heat helped create intense fruit flavours, the cool evenings preserved the natural acidity in the grapes keeping the wine fresh and lively.
The grapes were harvested by hand from Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos between November 3rd and 6th. They were destemmed and gently crushed before being gravity fed into stainless tanks for skin maceration and alcoholic fermentation, with temperatures ranging from 18 to 32 °C. Both free run and pressed wine were then moved into barrels for malolactic fermentation followed by 18 and a half months of ageing. The selection of barrels helped round out the tannins and contributed to complex smoky, savory and spicy notes. After the blending of the barrels, the wine was bottled unfiltered and left to mature in bottle until its release.
Oak ageing: 60% French, 25% Hungarian and 15% American with 75% new, 2% one-year, and 23% two-year old oak
