2020 Wallcliffe Cabernet Franc
"These mature cabernet franc vines from our Estate Vineyard provide consistently elegant yet powerful fruit year after year."
Our Wallcliffe series of wines are a limited edition of bottling that celebrates the highlights of each vintage, the finest parcels of fruit and the best barrel selection. Explore our diverse and surprising Margaret River terroir with the best varietal blend each season. 2020 is an expression of our stunning cabernet franc blocks delivering great presence and class, completed with a pinch of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Leaving a remakable, lasting memory!
Nose
The aroma opens with wild blackberries, violets and lavender surrounded by sweet spices, potpourri and almond meal.
Palate
A charming palate with effortless power, showing great energy and precise structure. An elegant core of silky tannin highlights ripe red cherries, dried plums and black tea, intertwining with notes of tobacco and briny seaweed.
Blend
91% cabernet franc 5% cabernet sauvignon 3% merlot 1% petit verdot
Cellaring
Ready for enjoyment on release, this wine can also be cellared for 10+ years.
Food Pairing Notes
Sirloin steak with cracked pepper. Fettuccine with crispy mushrooms in brown sage butter sauce. Tangy green olives and Red Leicester cheese.
The Vineyard
Our aim is to deliver grapes that are a true and vibrant expression of the vineyard site, with excellent tannin structure and ripeness. A range of precision viticulture techniques are included in our annual plans for each block, with the focus on canopy manipulation, ensuring air flow and sunlight penetration into the fruit zone. These mature cabernet franc vines from our Estate Vineyard provide consistently elegant yet powerful fruit year after year. The 2020 vintage in Margaret River was a real treat for viticulturists. Beginning in January, harvest was one of the earliest on record due to the lower yields and warm, dry weather. Low disease pressure, timely flowering of native marri trees to keep the birds at bay and little to no rain meant that growers could literally ‘take their pick’ as required. Rainfall resumed in March but overall, a warmer than usual summer with plenty of heat accumulation across the season.
Winemaking
After destemming, the two cabernet franc vineyard blocks were lightly crushed to closed top fermenters, with selected yeasts. Cap management operations were gentle and maceration periods reached 23 days. At the desired balance of fruit perfume and silky tannins, the wine was basket pressed with the pressing wines kept separate. Small portions of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot were assembled early with the cabernet franc, allowing the wines and pressings to integrate harmoniously through ageing. The wine was matured in barrel for 18 months with limited racking and 40% new French oak was used to complement the fruit. This unique final blend remained unfined and was filtered before being Estate bottled.
Analysis
13.5% alcohol 5.77 g/l total acidity 3.48 pH Suitable for vegans
