Domaine Naturaliste Le Naturaliste Cabernet Franc 2019

There are not many Cabernet Francs in Australia that can genuinely stand up to be bottled on their own without the support of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. I daresay this is probably quite a small make and from some carefully chosen blocks to get this kind of quality.

Bright deep ruby in colour, it opens with a generous array of fruits – redcurrant and blackcurrant with toasty oak showing impressive concentration and focus. What I like most here though is the savoury aspect – graphite and gravel notes that offset that delightfully sweet fruits – it makes quite the package. The fruit is then beautifully supported by an immaculate structure – firm mouthcoating tannins and balanced, fresh acidity sitting perfectly with rich fruit. Despite those tannins it is also supremely elegant all the way through to a long and meandering finish. Vibrant and energetic, this is a wine with much to offer over the next ten years and probably longer.