This wine is the culmination of a long term project that started 20 years ago when we planted a small block of Cabernet Franc on a bony ridge in the highest part of the vineyard. It sat alongside a block of Merlot with a Bordeaux blend in mind. Whilst the fruit has always been picked and vinified separately, the block saw only benign neglect for many years and didn’t appreciate the tough love approach! In recent years we have included the block in our mulch programme and switched to cane pruning (2 cane) and the vines have returned the favour by delivering fruit in 2021 worthy of a stand-alone, single block wine of stature. The fruit was destemmed into an open fermenter and spent 9 months in six second-hand French hogsheads to allow full fruit expression.
The wine is bright crimson with a delicate perfumed nose and a hint of pepper and spice. There is a broad palate of black fruits – satsuma plum, dark cherry and mulberry with a lingering finish. Unplanned destinations are often rhe most rewarding – don’t hesitate, enjoy now.
Single Vineyard, Eden Valley Wines of elegance and finesse