This Italian grown Cab Franc has intense aromatic blackberry fruit with notes of tobacco, licorice, mocha and dark chocolate. Super smooth tannins after a 60 minute decant (a must) and then some hints of mint on the finish. This is an interesting and complex wine to fully savor.
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This opened with a dense crimson colour and a rich nose of garnet plums, red cherries, tobacco and blackberry leaf. The palate is luxuriously rich with a robe of fruit giving way to savoury black olives and tobacco that lingers nicely. There is perhaps a sense of needing a little more drive but at the end of it the sense is of pleasure and light. Good stuff.
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My first bottle tasted of 6 bought. Beginning to reach its maturity plateau but not there yet. Dark cherry and smoky notes, palate smoother than I expected, very long. One drinker in our group said that it tasted velvety but others would wait 2 to 5 years. A great food wine though showing how this bit of Tuscany is great for Bordeaux or red Loire-grapes. Plenty of ripeness evident.
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Medium deep ruby. Robust nose of black fruits with green notes. Dry, bright acidity, structured tannins, palate follows through. Medium body. Good balance. Medium finish.
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A little green cab franc vibes. A sweetness to it that at first I find a bit overwhelming but after a while finds very charming. If this was a candy I would buy loads. 92-93
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Restaurant purchase at Pappas Steakhouse. $230. Double splash decant served at cellar temp. Gained weight over the two out consumed.
I typically reach for Righ Bank wines and wanted to try something different. MS Steven McDonald suggest this 100% Cab Franc as an alternative to the 15/16 Gravette I’ve been drinking around the 200-250 price point.
Fresh, clean, balanced and structured red fruited wine that is drink well early. My only complaint would be that this wine is young and will only get better. Need to source a few of the 15 or 16 for the cellar. Would love to try these at 10 plus years of age. 93+ I can easily see this hitting 96- 98 per AG
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Medium ruby,medium(+) rose,redcurrant,green bell pepper,smoke,coffee,tobacco,dry,high acidity,chalky high tannin,high alcohol,medium(+) body,medium(+) finish,good wine,suitable for bottle ageing
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Bouquet is open with good vibrancy that carries throughout the palate adding lift to it's streamlined and tight structure. Pure Cab Franc. I didn't find this to be modern at all. Tasted twice.
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100% Cabernet Franc. First made in 1989. Starting in 2001, became 100% Cab Franc. Previously blended with Cab Sauv. That’s an engaging nose. Has some mineral nuance on the nose. harmonious fruit and mineral aromas. Chewier palate, shows it’s oak more than the Bolgheri Rosso for shizzle.
Cab Franc is prone to stuck ferments and reduction during ferment. You need to have it really ripe or it can be a difficult wine.
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Tasted at the Tre Bicchieri NYC event. Medium-Full bodied, ripe and jammy, modern and lacking in the finesse I usually like in Cab Franc and this bottling from older vintages. Some would like this more than I.
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3/23/2024 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 96 Points
This Italian grown Cab Franc has intense aromatic blackberry fruit with notes of tobacco, licorice, mocha and dark chocolate. Super smooth tannins after a 60 minute decant (a must) and then some hints of mint on the finish. This is an interesting and complex wine to fully savor.
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8/18/2022 - drjb Likes this wine: 93 Points
This opened with a dense crimson colour and a rich nose of garnet plums, red cherries, tobacco and blackberry leaf. The palate is luxuriously rich with a robe of fruit giving way to savoury black olives and tobacco that lingers nicely. There is perhaps a sense of needing a little more drive but at the end of it the sense is of pleasure and light. Good stuff.
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8/2/2022 - john nielsen wrote: 93 Points
My first bottle tasted of 6 bought. Beginning to reach its maturity plateau but not there yet. Dark cherry and smoky notes, palate smoother than I expected, very long. One drinker in our group said that it tasted velvety but others would wait 2 to 5 years.
A great food wine though showing how this bit of Tuscany is great for Bordeaux or red Loire-grapes. Plenty of ripeness evident.
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6/21/2022 - Costes76 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium deep ruby. Robust nose of black fruits with green notes. Dry, bright acidity, structured tannins, palate follows through. Medium body. Good balance. Medium finish.
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11/14/2021 - adamanko wrote: 92 Points
A little green cab franc vibes. A sweetness to it that at first I find a bit overwhelming but after a while finds very charming. If this was a candy I would buy loads. 92-93
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3/27/2021 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 93 Points
Restaurant purchase at Pappas Steakhouse. $230. Double splash decant served at cellar temp. Gained weight over the two out consumed.
I typically reach for Righ Bank wines and wanted to try something different. MS Steven McDonald suggest this 100% Cab Franc as an alternative to the 15/16 Gravette I’ve been drinking around the 200-250 price point.
Fresh, clean, balanced and structured red fruited wine that is drink well early. My only complaint would be that this wine is young and will only get better. Need to source a few of the 15 or 16 for the cellar. Would love to try these at 10 plus years of age. 93+ I can easily see this hitting 96- 98 per AG
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3/26/2021 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 90 Points
It needs more time to develop secondary notes...
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9/7/2020 - MarshallLi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium ruby,medium(+) rose,redcurrant,green bell pepper,smoke,coffee,tobacco,dry,high acidity,chalky high tannin,high alcohol,medium(+) body,medium(+) finish,good wine,suitable for bottle ageing
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10/25/2019 - 83Vintage Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bouquet is open with good vibrancy that carries throughout the palate adding lift to it's streamlined and tight structure. Pure Cab Franc. I didn't find this to be modern at all. Tasted twice.
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9/20/2019 - nzinkgraf wrote:
100% Cabernet Franc. First made in 1989. Starting in 2001, became 100% Cab Franc. Previously blended with Cab Sauv.
That’s an engaging nose. Has some mineral nuance on the nose. harmonious fruit and mineral aromas. Chewier palate, shows it’s oak more than the Bolgheri Rosso for shizzle.
Cab Franc is prone to stuck ferments and reduction during ferment. You need to have it really ripe or it can be a difficult wine.
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3/1/2019 - oldwines wrote: 90 Points
Tasted at the Tre Bicchieri NYC event. Medium-Full bodied, ripe and jammy, modern and lacking in the finesse I usually like in Cab Franc and this bottling from older vintages. Some would like this more than I.
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