Winemaker Notes
Complex nose with spicy notes and aromas of black fruit, followed by sweeter spice from the
oak. The palate is concentrated, with lively tannins and a long-lasting finish.
Drink now with meat and poultry dishes, particularly those with herbs and rich sauces, or cellar for several years.
Blend: 95% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This cabernet franc is fruity, with aromas of fresh herbs and ripe red berries. I like the mid-palate tension and fluidity, with fine spices and elegant fruit. Juicy and textured, with cohesive tannins and a long, streamlined finish. 95% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Really delicious now, but can hold.
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Vinous
The 2023 Cabernet Franc Cuvée Alexandre includes 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged for up to 14 months in oak. It opens with ripe fruit, a hint of currant and a subtle note of ash. This is austere on the palate. It's centered on finely grippy tannins and a plush barrel texture that adds but doesn’t overwhelm. The finish is long and defined by the character of the vintage.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.