2023 Cabernet Franc - Further Afield Series

Our Further Afield Series has emerged out of a desire for our winemaking team to explore British Columbia’s most revered varieties, beyond our vineyard borders. Sourced from compelling sites but crafted with a Tantalus perspective.

Cabernet Franc was a natural next choice for this series as it’s a variety we have long admired in BC. The expressions we’ve enjoyed across the province have varied from more buoyant and candied to a touch more dark and rich. We like to think ours falls somewhere happily in the middle.

Pouring a deep ruby colour in the glass, this wine is bright and lifted with a light floral quality complemented by dark ripe plums, cherries and cedar. Less whole bunch inclusion in 2023 lends this wine a slightly richer character than our inaugural release in 2022. On the palate we see the dark red fruit in abundance with herbs, white pepper and black licorice adding complexity. Great length and intrigue here, speaking to the high-quality vineyard which it comes from.

WINEMAKER'S NOTES

Sourced from a certified-organic vineyard in Osoyoos, farmed by the Sekhon family, the terroir of this site is remarkably different from our East Kelowna home acreage, only two hours north.

With more growing degree potential and sandier soils at lower elevation, the fruit has the opportunity to gain complexity and reach full ripening potential effortlessly. Separate batches of fruit were vinified, each one fermented at slightly different temperatures. Ferments took place over various lengths of time to gain layers and complexity. The wine was then pressed and settled to French oak barrels. Further élevage took place in barrel for 15 months (roughly 10% new) of maturing before racking. The wine was bottled in February, unfined and unfiltered.

TECHNICAL INFO

Variety: 100% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 13.8%
Residual Sweetness: .14 g/L
pH: 3.71
Total Acidity: 5.1 g/L

• VINTAGE NOTES

  The 2023 vintage was a rollercoaster across much of the valley. Following an extreme cold snap in late December 2022, vines were slow to emerge, with bud break occurring in early May. From there, the season accelerated quickly, with low rainfall and sustained heat defining the early growing period.

  
  In the South Okanagan, the impact of the winter event was less severe, and many vineyards saw healthy bud survival and strong early growth. The region’s naturally warm, arid conditions paired well with the vintage’s hot and dry ripening period. A touch of humidity required careful canopy management, but fruit remained clean and disease-free. Yields were variable depending on site and variety, but overall fruit quality was high—marked by concentration, balance, and ripeness. Earlier-than-average picking dates reflected the quick pace of the season and have resulted in wines with depth and structure.