A nice slurp to this wine. Blood stained purple fruits and a twist of alpine herb and Aussie bush. Spot on. It’s loose and pretty, sumptuous and soft, a cool finish but long and grainy with the right kind of haze to tannin. Such pleasantness here, and a good deal of varietal character. Lovely stuff. Points: 92/100
Not much Cabernet Franc is grown in Australia, so it’s always good to see a varietal version on the shelves, rather than just blended away. Like the Gamay and Pinot, it opens with a burst of ripe fruit but has a much different, more savoury, flavour profile: boysenberry, red cherry, black pepper, green capsicum. The tannins are drying and a bit grippy, and while the palate turns very savoury after a bit of air, the fruit returns with gusto on the second night, bringing everything together nicely and making for a very satisfying wine. Points: 93/100
Made in a Loire Valley style, giving aromas of dark cherries, plums, fresh herbs, white pepper and graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and bright acidity, carrying flavors of game meat, red currants, bitter chocolate and blackberry bush. A meaty, focused, structured and well-balanced wine. Drink or hold. Screw cap. Points: 93/100
