Rising Yarra Valley Cabernet Franc 2023

Cabernet Franc from 40-year-old, ungrafted vines on a warm, west-facing slope at our Long Gully Vineyard in Healesville. Handpicked and 100% destemmed before undergoing fermentation by indigenous yeast in an open pot. Hand plunged for super soft extraction – we want to keep the lightness in our Franc. Pressed off after 8 days to mature in old oak for 10 months. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.’

Cabernet Franc is almost completely overwhelmed by Cabernet Sauvignon in the Yarra Valley, but it’s great to see a varietal version, offering something a little different. Like the Pinot, the Franc was aromatically vivacious, showing tonnes of plum and mulberry, lashings of black cherry, and heaps of tomato leaf, olive and spicy savouriness. The palate shows rich, concentrated fruit, with intense flavours and a juiciness that I found most pleasant. It was a great wine to pair with a range of dishes, such as pasta, pizza or something spicy. Like the other Rising wines, giving it some bottle age will help to improve it even more.