Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2021

French born winemaker, Xavier Bizot, knows what he wants from the Cabernet Franc grape. He builds the wine from the ground up upon a solid base of well-ripened fruit (14.5% alc.). He lets the grape’s natural lifted aromatics rise to join sweetly spiced cherry and plum scents. A splash of spicy Shiraz – 9% – helps set everything off. He allows the wine to build in the mouth, following cola, cacao, red liquorice and red fruited paths of flavour. Time in old French barriques and foudres (14 months) lends an additional layer of interest and textural integration. It’s good to see Cabernet Franc being taken as seriously as this and given its own time to shine.