Black Sage Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2020

Cellar for up to 7 years. No need to decant before serving.

Black Sage Vineyard is located on scrubby benchland close to the town of Summerland in the eastern side of Lake Okanagan. Once regarded as only fit for grazing cattle, the potential of this rugged land was recognised by Harry McWatters and Bob Wareham, owners of the nearby Sumac Ridge Estate Winery. In 1992 Harry and Bob purchased a disused vineyard here and set about planting French vine cuttings.

Their early experiments proved to be a success and the terroir here is well-suited to growing intensely-flavoured yet elegant red wines from classic Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This Cabernet Franc is harvested from the estate vineyards in late autumn when the fruit achieves optimal maturity.

Once in the winery the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks and then transferred to French and American oak barrels for 16 months. This adds subtle woodsmoke and winter spice notes to the ripe dark berry and plum notes from the grape variety itself. The nose is bursting with crushed cassis, blackberry and cherry notes while the first sip reveals a medium body, firm tannins and long, clean finish seasoned with subtle cedar and dried herbs. The balanced flavour profile makes this a great match for mushroom and game dishes as well as hearty stews and tomato-based pasta dishes.