Pikes Rising Ground Cabernet Franc 2025
- 93
- $30
- Drink by: 2026-2036
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Always fascinating to see solo Cabernet Franc. So often the bridesmaid, every now and again it pops up and proves it deserves centre stage. For me, this is one of those wines. From the team’s Polish Hill Vineyard in the Clare Valley, the blocks providing the fruit are some of their most elevated, hence the name. The grapes underwent a wild fermentation before eight months in older French barriques for maturation. The team suggest drinking this within five years, and it will certainly offer enormous pleasure during that period, but I think they’re selling themselves short. I think well cellared bottles will go twice as long and really impress down the track. Quite a vibrant dark purple hue here. On the nose we have aromas of dried herbs, tobacco leaves, cherries, wild raspberries and aniseed. Deceptively abundant tannins, if a touch grainy. The wine has balance and real length and is well structured throughout. A vibrant style, this is a really good Cabernet Franc and well cellared, should provide pleasure for a decade. Love it. Bridesmaid, no longer (at least here).
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
