Araucano Cabernet Franc Humo Blanco 2022

Black Raspberry, Tart Blackcurrant, Blackcurrant Leaf, Grilled Bell Pepper, Vanilla

Lolol is its own wine-growing appellation, though technically located in the westernmost portion of Chile’s Colchagua Valley, which has long been a stronghold of French red varieties such as Syrah. Here in Colchagua, the climate is slightly warmer and drier, though the cooling morning fog still plays a major role. As a result, François selects this Cabernet Franc from biodynamically farmed parcels in both regions, with the Colchagua fruit usually harvested first, in order to create a wine that showcases the best of both micro-climates.

Manual green harvest occurs at least twice per vintage, in order to concentrate flavor by reducing yields. After harvesting by hand, the fruit undergoes gentle crushing at cool temperatures before an extended 35-day maceration on the skins. Once dry, the resulting wine is racked to used French oak barriques where it matures for 8 months before bottling.