Hickinbotham The Nest Cabernet Franc 2022 

This comes from a block planted in 2013 with the cépage being 87% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot and 2% Malbec. This is supremely elegant, fine-boned and lifted with a lovely sense of purity. Crushed autumn leaves, fragrant red plum, redcurrant, fine cedar, pink peppercorn and a stony minerality add lift and coolness. There’s some paperbark, bay leaf and delicate sweet clove with air, along with an olive-tapenade nuance. This is very classy in its finesse and elegance – threads that carry through to the palate, which is both lithe and lively. Cooling mineral lift is a defining feature alongside notes of bright plum, subtle olive tapenade, earth, red cherry and redcurrant. Cedar notes sit in the backseat. The tannins are chalky and firm-but-fine, putting up a lovely frame through a long and precise finish while also adding some cacao-nib bitterness. This is a wine of sophistication and grace, with lovely mineral detail and masterful finesse. Brilliant.