Aotea by Seifried Family Winemakers Cabernet Franc 2019

The deep flavours are rich and spicy with notes of black currant, crushed fresh raspberries and black pepper while the juicy acidity adds fresh vibrancy to the refined tannins in the finish. This is a wonderful wine that is super delicious now but it's still very young so if you can keep your hands off it cellar it for 5-6 years. Cabernet Franc is not usually a variety you associate with cool climate growing conditions but for Seifried Family Winemakers the 2019 vintage conditions delivered very ripe fruit with intense flavours. That means rather than using it as a blending component in their Old Coach Road red blend the decision was made to bottle the wine as a single varietal. Available at the cellar door and online at Seifried Estate Winemaker's Note 2019 was an outstanding vintage in Nelson with a very warm and dry growing season. This resulted in some outstanding parcels of fruit including our Brightwater Cabernet Franc. Our team was so impressed with the ripe flavoursome Cabernet Franc that we decided to keep it separate and bottle this outstanding parcel as a single varietal.  The grapes were picked in April at the peak of ripeness and then promptly de-stemmed and transferred to open-top fermenters. A three day cold-maceration period preceded inoculation for fermentation. Hand plunging was carried out two times a day during the ten day primary fermentation, followed by a five day period of post-fermentation maceration. After pressing, the young wine was drained into French barriques where it underwent malolactic fermentation and ageing. The wine was blended and bottled in June 2020. Only 240 six packs available