About Airlie Bank
About

2017 Airlie Bank Franc
Airlie Bank
VINTAGE
2017 is a very promising vintage, that may prove to be one of the best seen in the Yarra Valley in recent memory. Plentiful frosty nights and heavy rains in winter delayed budburst, and spring continued in this mild (and wet) fashion. We had excellent canopies with slowly developing bunches. The mild conditions persisted into January and February. Warm, sunny days (not too warm) with crisp nights and mornings. Perfect for slow ripening, delicate flavours and acid retention. There was no disease threat from rain, and we harvested at leisure. - Tim Shand, Punt Road
TASTING
100% Cabernet Franc, with all the bunches going into the fermenter. Foot stomped once a day; pressed to large, neutral oak. Racked once by gravity; no finings. Very attractive bright ruby with a purple edge. Lifted raspberry, cherry, some bubblegum character; amaro notes too. Nice to sniff thanks to good lift to those red fruits. Entry has good, fresh fruit hit straight up front, a bit more tannin than in previous years but fruity and fine in nature. Nice bitter herb and pepperiness round the edges, and it's got a pulsing liveliness to it. Really satisfying, moreish drink - and there's finesse there, too. Raspberry fruit lingers on finish. - Ed Merrison, CellarHand
June, 2018
Wine Advocate
89 points
Leafy, fragrant and light, like a bistro Bourgueil, the 2017 Yarra Valley Franc rates high on the drinkability scale that is so trendy in Australia. What that means is that it's quaffable, with only moderate concentration and modest tannins. There's enough cherry fruit to make it go down easy, plus enough savory complexity to keep it interesting through a whole bottle.
Standard Bottle Out of Stock
About Airlie Bank
About