Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Cabernet Franc sees 27 months in oak of which 45% is new. It has a sensual bouquet with macerated red cherries, leather and soy that is well-defined but could benefit from more vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, fleshy red cherry and cassis fruit with a nicely poised finish.
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Wine Spectator
Rock-solid, with a core of dark currant and blackberry fruit lined liberally with inviting tobacco leaf and dark olive notes. The fresh finish shows firm grip, with a hint of singed juniper.
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.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.