Name: Combes de Franc Cabernet Franc 2022
SKU: 28803
Price: 38 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock

Natural, Lo-Fi, Minimal Intervention, Sustainable… these are all terms that you would have heard in relation to wine at some point in the last fifty years. 

Many of the above terms have historically been used interchangeably, without much clarity around what they mean in a concrete sense, and thus many grey areas into what actual practices go on in the vineyard and cellar before the wine lands into your glass.

Here at Blackhearts, we’ve gradually leaned more towards terms like ‘Lo-Fi’ or even ‘Eccentric’ over ‘Natural’ when it comes to wine - as we’ve found the overarching meanings of both lofi and eccentric to be more broadly encompassing of what you may be able to expect in the glass. That said, one thing we’ve learnt over years of trial, error, and a multitude of tastings (it’s a hard life), is that there is no one box that will fit the lot. 

For a long time, Isabelle Legeron - author of ‘Natural Wine’ and founder of the prolific RAW Wine fair - was the go-to for the hardline definition of ‘natural’, outline that “Natural wine is made from grapes that are, at a very minimum, farmed organically or biodynamically, harvested manually and then made without adding/or removing anything during the vinification process. Ideally nothing is added at all but - at most - there might be a dash of S02 at bottling.”

And now, according to the voluntary ‘Vin Méthode Nature’ charter that the French have only recently set out (gotta love their trailblazing bureaucratic proclivities) - grapes must be certified organic, hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented (using natural yeasts found in the vineyard and wine cellar), and made without mechanised intervention (ie reverse osmosis or cross-flow filtration), and only a small amount of sulphur dioxide may be used.

Of course, not everyone has the resources, time, or interest to make wine in this manner - and there are a few folks who would argue that not everyone should. While a winemaker’s cellar practices will fit the Lo-Fi bill, they may only be able to purchase grapes from conventionally farmed vineyards with non-organic or biodynamic practices - leading to some grey areas in definitions.

We’ve got to say though: wines made in line with the practices outlined in the Vin Méthode Nature charter, when done well, can be absolute beauties to behold. You’ll find these sorts of wines from the mid-$30s realm in the Lo-Fi section in the fridge all the way up to those higher priced cuvées sitting on the Premium shelf - so as the old adage goes, you can’t judge a wine by its label. Some sulphur-free wines need a bit more love and care in their storage, and can be an adventure, everchanging in the bottle and even in your wine glass as they open up (which could be said even for those wines which do have sulphur added, to be honest!).

In our range & stores, we’ve made an effort to demystify the differences between these wines somewhat, by creating a symbol-led category system. You may have seen these in store or online, with symbols highlighting which wines are sulphur free, which use skin contact, which are farmed sustainably (whether it be organically or biodynamically), which are vegan, nutty and oxidative, which reds that go great with a chill, or are broadly Lo-Fi.

What is Lofi Wine

When he's not working at his main gig as co-owner of Bar Romantica in Brunswick East, Oscar Hermann is working on a different kind of romance with his wine label, Combes. The Yarra Valley is where his love lies, and his wines show his passion for winemaking and the region.

Oscar takes a minimal intervention approach to his winemaking practices and wants to highlight the vineyard in each bottle.

Who is Combes Wines?

By definition, vegan wines are made without the use of these animal-based fining agents. They either rely on gravity to clarify the wine, use other fining agents which are not animal-derived, or the wine can be bottled cloudy to give it that ‘lo-fi’ look and texture. If you encounter the words ‘unfined and unfiltered’ on the back of a wine bottle, then you’re probably in good hands.

Historically, the production of wine did involve just fermented grapes, which were picked, crushed or left whole, and put inside a sealed container to ferment and mature. There are many reasons why wines are left to mature, but the one we’re going to dive into is filtration. 

During the fermentation process, wines are typically very cloudy and are full of small particles suspended in it. These can be organic particles coming from the grapes themselves, traces of dirt (grapevines are grown in soil, after all), or they can be from organisms such as yeasts, which at the time are busy producing alcohol. When a ferment begins to wind down, yeast cells begin to die off, forming a clay-like slurry at the bottom of the fermentation vessel referred to as lees. Generally speaking, gravity (and a cold environment) does a pretty good job of allowing a wine’s lees to drop out of suspension, allowing for clear wine to be siphoned off from the lees to another clean tank in a process called racking. This can be a time-consuming process, however, and is a significant barrier for winemakers looking to release their wines quickly. 

As a result, one of the methods that modern winemakers have developed to speed up this process is through the use of fining agents. These additives essentially act as a magnet, binding to impurities and particles suspended in a wine and then sinking to the bottom of the fermentation vessel, leaving the wine clear.

There are many different fining agents available for winemakers to use, and some of these agents are derived from animal products. There are also fining agents which are derived from extracts found in the earth’s soil, which are permitted in the production of vegan wines. But they aren’t all used for the same task, and they can vary in efficacy and application. 


**Examples of animal-based fining agents include: **
- Casein (a protein found in mammalian milk)
- Egg whites
- Isinglass (a form of gelatine extracted from the swim bladders of fishes) 

**Examples of earth-based fining agents include:**
- Bentonite (A type of clay)
- Plant-derived Casein
- Silica Gel
- Limestone
- Charcoal

Other products involved in wine production that may potentially be derived from animal products are beeswax (used for wax seals) and some agglomerated corks which can use milk-based glues. 

What is Vegan Wine?

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Oh so pretty and absolutely spot on for the variety! Red and black currants, sappy spice and flecks of green herbs, with a juicy core of sweet whole berries. Made with an even split of whole bunch and destemmed Sunbury fruit. Slippery and slurpy, this LoFi number wouldn't mind a chill as the mercury rises and a trip to its nearest picnic blanket. 


Combes de Franc Cabernet Franc 2022

Medium

Body

Some may call it natural, others minimum intervention, either way, it’s hands off & maybe even a little eccentric.

LO-FI.svg

Lo-Fi

Type

Sunbury

Sub Region

Victoria

Region

Class

Wine

Cabernet Franc

Varietal

Australia

Country

Park

Setting

Sweetness Level

Wonderful as is, but a slight chill will enhance the aromatics and give it a beautiful crunch.

Combes De Franc 2022

$38.00

Out of Stock Online

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