Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard The Nest Cabernet Franc 2022

87% Cab Franc, 11% Merlot, 2% Malbec. Goodness me, I’m so glad Cabernet Franc is finally having a moment in the spotlight. This is a delight. The nose is resplendent with pretty musk stick, red spiced berry, frosted sugar plum and cedar woodsy crunch. Billowing with pretty purple florals, yet it’s still woven back to earth with some cured meat soaked in dark cacao and smudges of graphite stick. The palate follows through with a cascade of tannins, fine and almost dusty on the surface, yet with a firm core. More purple prettiness on the palate, albeit with a twirl of candied aniseed and mulberry crush. There’s a solid use of oak, but the fruit holds up, and the final effect is a Cab Franc with gravitas. This isn’t a spicy, leaf-laden, juicy thing. This is emboldened Cab Franc. It’s polished its dress shoes and put on an evening jacket. Points: 95/100

Wine Pilot ∙ 16th Aug 2025

Cab Franc from as warm and sun-soaked a climate as McLaren Vale’s runs a risk of losing its herbal varietal character to the plush fruit. While there’s certainly no shortage of the latter here (think: wild blueberry and raspberry), the former still flies bay leaf and dried oregano flags high. It’s tightly structured with taut, cocoa-dust tannins, lovely freshness and tension that suggest this could age quite beautifully over the next decade or more. Hickinbotham. Points: 94/100

Wine Enthusiast ∙ 2nd Jun 2025

87% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot and 2% Malbec, for all Aussie intents and purposes this is Hickinbothams Cabernet Franc bottling and it is handpicked, destemmed and whole berry sorted. 16 days on skins basket pressed matured in French oak barriques of which 60% was new for 15 months. Like a shiny new toy this is impossible to put down. Bramble, cassis and sandy potting soil, like the type used for succulents and cactus. There is an edge of salted licorice, handfuls of star anise and cardamom. Oak looks quite polished here and adds to the gleam and glamour of the wine. It’s seductive and supple with gathering waves of acidity that linger. A wine that’s pleasure is immediate and yet worth some time in the decanter to get to know it better, before you envelop it. Points: 95/100

Wine Pilot ∙ 1st May 2025

The 2022 Cabernet Franc The Nest is well composed, delivering fine-tuned aromas of blackcurrant and gravel with plummy richness and cedary oak sitting in unison. This is medium-bodied and savory, with earthy/gravel tones at its heart while a firm line of sinewy tannins keeps impressive focus over an extended, fine finish. Points: 93/100

Vinous ∙ 23rd Apr 2025

Very deep, rich red-purple colour, with a blackberry nose with traces of gumleaf and funk, big and bold and bolshie, with gritty tannin astringency on the lengthy finish, but it dips slightly in the centre and the line is uneven.  Points: 90/100

The Real Review ∙ 2nd Dec 2024

A blend of 87/11/2% cabernet franc/merlot/malbec. From a block planted in '13; crushed fruit fermented with native yeast; 16 days on skins; 15 months' maturation in French oak (60% new), then blended and matured in old oak for two months. This is an expressive take on cabernet franc, but as with all the wines in the '22 range, elegance and varietal clarity are prized, with this clocking in at moderate alcohol and with refined structural drive.  Points: 95/100

Halliday Wine Companion ∙ 9th Aug 2024

Plenty of class here. Crushed currants, paprika, spiced Damson plums and a touch of pimento. More medium-bodied and savory than previous vintages. The oak is a perfect framework. This is not as spectacular as this bottling has proven in the past. And yet the poise and drinkability cannot be disputed. Drink or hold. Screw cap. Points: 93/100

jamessuckling.com ∙ 2nd Feb 2024