Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc 2019

Cellar for up to 10 years. Decant for up to an hour before serving.

This is a medium-bodied, 100% Cabernet Franc wine, with a fragrant nose of red currant, sour cherry, rose petal, vanilla and violet. The grapes were harvested from estate-owned vineyards in the sub-regions of Osoyoos and Oliver, British Columbia.

The producers, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, have been in the region for about 25 years. Founder Jim Wyse has taken steps to ensure that their wines are sourced exclusively from estate-owned vineyards - all 210 acres of them. The estate lies just inside the Canadian border, at the northernmost tip of an arid steppe, created by ancient glaciers and the mighty shadow of the Cascade mountain range.

Following harvesting and fermentation, the grapes spent 15 months ageing in a careful mixture of oak barrels: 85% French, 13% Hungarian and 2% American. This has granted the wine mature, well-rounded tannins, and the subtle undercurrent of baking spice that you can discover on the palate. The flavour is filled out with notes of plum, red fruit and thyme, with savoury hints of leather, tobacco smoke and graphite. The finish is lengthy and deeply savoury. Consider pairing this Cabernet Franc with smokey, umami dishes, such as braised beef, red lentil dhal, or mushroom risotto.