LITTLE FRANCES

Beechworth, Victoria

Philosophy & Site

Little Frances was established in 2012 by Erin Frances Pooley. It began in California, with a single high altitude Semillon bottle-aged before release. Over time, the line-up expanded and in 2020, despite the odds, Erin fulfilled a long held dream to add Australian wines to the Little Frances collection. At a minimum, wine ought to be nothing less than quietly profound. Life is too short to take for granted and Erin ensures this philosophy carries through from the winery to your glass. Fruit is grown at the feted Warner Vineyard. Situated at 450m in elevation on the Beechworth-Wangaratta road. The grapes are farmed organically with scrupulous attention to detail by Peter Graham at Domenica Winery - (right next door).

Winemaking

The ultimate drawcard for Beechworth is decomposed granite - providing structure and power in Chardonnay without sacrificing balance or freshness. Erin guides the Chardonnay with a gentle hand, using natural fermentations, a mix of old and new Austrian oak, and lees ageing without disruption. The Shiraz is picked and fermented to express the blue fruit and stone elements of cool-climate shiraz. Aged in almost all French barrique plus one Appalachian hogshead it is a juicy take on one of Beechworth's most lauded sites.

We Say

“Tasting with Erin genuinely blew me away, from the initial warm welcome and hospitable nature to the beautiful wines. Her wines have the wonderful appeal of fruit purity, and freshness, seamless from start to finish, a delight to drink ”

They Say

“This is delicious Chardonnay.

Neat and generous, 100% satisfying.”

Campbell Matteson