Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard 2019 Merlot Cabernet Franc

The Merlot and Cabernet Franc from the Whalebone Vineyard in Wrattonbully were hand-harvested and delivered at night to the Tapanappa Winery in the Piccadilly Valley. The grapes were destemmed, lightly roller crushed and chilled to 2°C on the way to 0.85 tonne fermenting tubs. The crushed must was cold soaked on skins for two days before the fermentation was initiated. After fermentation began, the tubs were hand plunged daily, fully immersing the skins in the fermenting juice. The fermentation lasted for 11 days and reached a maximum temperature of 33°C. At the end of fermentation, the wine was left on skins for a seven-day maceration under inert gas cover.

The Merlot and Cabernet Franc wines were kept separate and were gently pressed away from their skins then immediately gravitated to French oak barriques, 50% new and 50% single use, to undergo malolactic fermentation. At the end of malolactic fermentation, the wines were racked off gross lees and returned to barrique for a further 17 months of maturation.

In November 2020, the wines were clear racked from the barriques and blended; 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc. The finished wine was bottled in December 2020. Only 470 dozen of 2019 Tapanappa Merlot-Cabernet Franc were made.