A refreshing change from the big, extracted Hawkes Bay reds you may know, this is Kiwi Cab Franc on a charm offensive. Holly from Three Fates explains - “This is a Franc for lovers of Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Cru; looking to the Loire for inspiration”. And the three fates have nailed it. It’s bright fruited and friendly, but there’s detail too, and the quiet suggestion of woody 'Cab Franc-ness'. Handpicked fruit was destemmed and fermented with wild yeasts. Extraction was gentle in this period, and the wine was pressed off skins after 18 days. 

The three fates are Holly Girven Russell, Hester Nesbitt and Casey Motley. In another case of old mate COVID causing a change of tack, these three decided to combine their respective wine growing experience, taking on the lease of a Maraekākaho, Hawkes Bay vineyard in 2020. It’s a trio of things we love here at BTB - talented people going out on their own, alternative grape varieties, and wines that are thoughtful, modern expressions of great New Zealand wine regions.