REVIEW

Dark, deep, garnet-red colour with black-red hues, lighter on the rim with a little bricking. The bouquet is elegantly full and well-proportioned with intensely packed aromas of lively blackcurrant and redcurrant fruit along with complexing layers of savoury, secondary dried herb and tobacco notes, along with fresh herbs, earth and nutty oak elements. Medium-full bodied, the palate is densely concentrated with a solid core of ripe, dark-red and black-berried fruits along with complex died herb, tobacco and earthy flavours. The mouthfeel is one of real depth, density and presence, with the fruit encased by considerable fine-grained, powdery tannin extraction. The acidity is integrated, enhancing the completeness and fulsome breadth of the wine. The flavours carry to a concentrated, long and sustained finish of dark fruits and complex, savoury tobacco and earth nuances. This is a solidly concentrated and densely packed Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend with dark fruit flavours and complex secondary layers. Match with game meat and casseroles, and with firm cheese over the next 9-10+ years. A blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot from the ‘Gabion’ vineyard fermented to 13.6% alc., the wine aged a year in 30% new French oak. 19.0/20 Apr 2017RRP $35.00