Cabernet Franc is the perfect red wine addition for our cool climate. The full ripeness of the fruit might surprise you, and yet there is a cool restraint throughout, with the oak in perfect balance and not obtrusive at all. The tannins are reminiscent of biting into a big, juicy red apple and there are delicious peppery notes throughout the silky tannic structure with a lively acidity. Works beautifully with red meat dishes.

About the Producer

Gerd Stepp grew up in Bad Dürkheim in the Mittelhaardt of the Pfalz. As a child he watched and helped his parents tend their vines and make wine. He would help them prune the vines, harvest the grapes by hand and, his favourite task, drive the tractor. Gerd always knew that wherever his career took him, and like so many of us he started in Oddbins in London, he would return home. Today, Gerd farms the family’s vineyards and runs the little winery, also buying some grapes from like-minded growers in the region. Having returned to Bad Dürkheim after making wines around the globe, his technical winemaking skills combined with commercial experience allow him to produce a range of wines which are both great value and especially good and true expressions of these grape varieties.

Gerd Stepp has 4 hectares of premium vineyards in the Pfalz region. He produces less expensive bottlings but these are from bought in grapes from contracted growers. All of the Mineralstein wines are only from his own family vineyards and are the cream of the crop. The Pfalz is a warmer region of Germany and allows for this variety to develop fully and has resulted in a complex world class red.

Vineyard and Winery

The STEPP Cabernet Franc grapes are grown on an east-facing vineyard overlooking the Rhine valley. Cabernet Franc is a relatively new addition to our red wines, but nonetheless this vineyard is one of the oldest Cabernet Franc vineyards in the Pfalz. The site is well suited as it is protected from cold westerly winds, which ensures full maturity of the grapes.

This Cabernet Franc was made from handpicked grapes that were fully de-stemmed and transported to the open top fermenters without the use of pumps. The berries and juice were kept at <10°C for 4 days to gently extract the colour from the skins (cold maceration). Alcoholic fermentation commenced naturally but selected yeasts were added at the later stages of fermentation. Pigeage was carried out twice to three times daily to keep the grape’s skins submerged. 100% of the wine went straight after alcoholic fermentation to 2nd fill French oak (Jupille, 228L) barrels. Malolactic fermentation was carried out in barrel during the winter months. In total the wine matured 18 months in barrels. To retain the wine’s vibrancy, fruit and body it was only lightly filtered once prior to bottling.