Winemaker Notes
Crimson color with a ruby hue. Black plum, blackcurrant jam and fresh blackberries dominate the aromas. These are interlaced with fresh violets and dried thyme with underlying cedar box . The dark fruits follow through on the palate as well as cassis, Chambord and black cherries. Crushed cinnamon stick and savory star anise compliment fresh fruit, while delicate acid gives a bright lifted mouthfeel wrapped in plush velvety tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Amphitheatre Cabernet Franc opens with an incredibly fruit-sweet, luscious nose—it's all mulberry and cassis, graphite, tobacco, raspberry pip, rosehip tea and black pepper. In the mouth, the wine is silky and ripe, with supple, ductile tannins and a seamless flow of fruit and flavor across the tongue. It's ripe but elegant, a supremely wonderful wine and highly recommended. Pleasurable mouthfeel 101. Chalky, it has a Nebbiolo-esque asphalt leaning—a most attractive feature.
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.
On the central eastern coast of the South Island, Canterbury includes a collection of small and varied subregions. The region is cool and dry with low rainfall and light, infertile soils. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are well-suited here, with Pinot Gris coming in third place.