Rare to have a straight bottling of Cabernet Franc, but I like Canobolas Wines’ intent here.  Jonathon Mattick and family took the jump of buying the (former) Canobolas Smith vineyard in Orange in early 2022 after many years on the Mornington Peninsula.

100% de-stemmed. Natural ferment in stainless steel. Racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation. 13 months maturation in oak (10% new).

Canobolas Wines, Cabernet Franc, Orange, 2022

Medium garnet. Dusty anise tinged cassis and blue fruits, floral violets and lifted cherries. A little cooking chocolate, singed capsicums and boysenberry rounds out a serious, but calm nose. Tight and nervy palate. Finely knit dusty tannin holding things tight with a narrow fruit focus. Good length and structure, I’d just like to see a little more fruit flesh. More Chinon than Chile, but mostly Orange.

RRP: $55
Alc: 13.4%
Rating: 92/100

Wine sample courtesy of Canobolas Wines