Amalaya Gran Corte Malbec Cabernet Franc 2016, Valle Calchaqui, Salta, Argentina 🇦🇷

🍇 Malbec 85%
🍇 Cabernet Franc 10%
🍇 Tannat 5%

🧐 Alcohol 14.5%

🍁 My Score 89 Points

🔹Beautiful and very inviting nose with aromas of blackberries, blueberries, cigar box, cedar, vanilla and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied with delicious forward fruit, smooth tannins and refreshing acidity. The finish is long with flavours of black fruit, chocolate and oak spices.

🔸 I tasted their 2017 vintage @vanwinefest  and loved it. Our store @vintagespiritsvictoria  placed an order, but we received the 2016 instead. While the 2017 was a stunning wine with firm tannins which required additional time in bottle this 2016 is drinking beautifully right now. It’s definitely in a style which should have a wide appeal. A big and flavourful wine that would work beautifully paired with a BBQ steak. I am definitely waiting for the 2017 to arrive here, but in the meantime this 2016 is definitely worth repurchasing. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Clos du Soleil Winemaker’s Series Cabernet Franc 2016, VQA Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

🍇 Cabernet Franc 100%

🧐 Alcohol 14 %

🍁 My Score 90 Points

🧩 Production of 68 Cases, certified organic fruit, native yeast, 15 months in neutral French oak (3rd fill), unfined & unfiltered.

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Most intriguing nose with aromas of plums, blueberries, violets, dried leaves, underbrush and a touch of dried herbs. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, earthy, savoury palate with lovely acidity and fine, well integrated tannins. The finish is medium length, dry with flavours of plums, bay leaves and earthy notes.

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This is a very enjoyable, beautifully balanced Cabernet Franc with more earthy flavours than fruit. These earthy, underbrush characteristics can be found throughout this wine. So many different styles of CF made in this province. This one is middle road between a liner Loire Valley and fruitier California style. This wine was purchased from the winery last summer. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Oban Inn, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

A beautiful December evening at the @obaninn, where we are staying in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Duck confit is one of my favourite dinners, when I see it on a restaurant menu it’s a no brainer.

-Duck Confit with smashed sage potato, roasted Brussels sprouts in a Dijon cream sauce

-Maple berry crème brûlée with pistachio biscotti

Nothing has ever bested my favourite meal of duck confit that was prepared at Algonquin College, culinary school @RestaurantInternational where I received my Sommelier Certification. I have to say that Oban Inn’s duck confit challenged my previous favourite with it’s crispy skin, delicious tender meat and served with a flavourful Dijon cream sauce and beautifully prepared smashed potatoes. So good 😋 The dessert was also very good, almost forgot to take a photo in my rush to get started 😂 I almost forgot the wise words of @wyn8969. The camera eats first 😜

And the wine?

Megalomaniac Cabernet Frank 2017, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦

The winery description "Forthright and sincere, our Cabernet Franc delivers a knockout punch with a velvet glove"

Right now it’s more like a soft leather glove, the velvet will come later after another year in bottle. Still a very enjoyable wine but it would have been hard to upstage this duck confit.

Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Mission Hill Terroir Collection No. 32 Vista’s Edge Cabernet Franc 2015, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

🍇 Cabernet Franc 100%

🧐 Alcohol 14.9%

🍁 My Score 92 Points

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A very seductive nose with aromas of cherries, blackberries, dark chocolate, cedar and light vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, flavourful with a velvet texture, silky tannins and balanced acidity. Very good length on the finish with flavours of ripe berry fruit, gentle wood spices and savoury notes lingering.

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Grown in most wine producing countries, Cabernet Franc is mainly use as a blending grape for Meritage style blends. Currently, many wineries are bottling 100% CF, as in Canada where it’s finding many new fans. Here in 🇨🇦  it’s also use to make delicious Icewine. Made in different styles from a lighter more herbal wine from it’s motherland of la Loire Valley, France to a fuller, richer style from California, USA. This CF is much closer to what you would find in California. A wine with great aromatics, beautifully balanced and it’s flavourful mouthfeel makes this Cab Franc nearly impossible to put down. Cheers my wine friend 🍷

Bartier Bros. Cerqueira Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2016, VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

🍇 Cabernet Franc 88%
🍇 Merlot 12%

🧐 Alcohol 13.7%

🍁 My Score 90 Points

🧩 Unfined, native yeast ferment, 12 months in neutral French barrels, production of 505 cases.

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Elegant nose with aromas of wild berries, plums, cassis, violets, dried herbs, tobacco and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied with a tasty smooth texture, soft tannins and fresh acidity. The finish is medium-long with soft berry flavours, dried sage and bay leaves with undertones of mineral notes.

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Love the purity of fruit in this Cab Franc. It’s hard to say what I like most, it’s beautiful complex aromatics to it’s silky texture and tasty, intriguing finish. It’s almost like an extension of la Loire right here in British Columbia 🇨🇦. Congratulations to Winemaker Michael Bartier 👌 Needless to say, strongly recommended. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Robert Monday Oakville Cabernet Franc 2014, Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

🍇 Cabernet Franc 80%
🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon 15%
🍇 Malbec 3%
🍇 Merlot 2%

🧐 Alcohol 14.5%

🍁 My Score 92%

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A very attractive nose with aromas of blackberries, blueberries, black currants, camp fire smoke, violets, savoury herbs and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied, fantastic mid palate with smooth tannins and balanced acidity. The finish is medium-long, clean with excellent depth of flavours.

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My first time with this Cabernet Franc and what a fantastic wine experience it was. A wine with great aromatics, complex flavours and terrific oak integration. A Cabernet Franc tailor made for Cabernet Sauvignon lovers. In a sea of expensive California wines, this one represents a great value. Need I say, outstanding wine and strongly recommended. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Château Des Charmes St. David’s Bench Cabernet Franc 2010, VQA St. David’s Bench, Niagara, Ontario, Canada

 

 

What a great summer and food wine this Cabernet Franc has shown itself to be. It is a great departure from the full bodied, sweet and heavy wines. This wine opened up with aromas of wild strawberry, plum, rhubarb, tobacco leaf, oak vanillin, white pepper and floral-violet notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied (alcohol comes in at 13.5%), dry, flavourful and very elegant with balanced acidity and fine grained tannins. The length on the finish is very good, smooth with a sweet-sour edge, flavours of berries-plum fruit, vanilla, spices and fine grained tannins lingering. Lots of finesse and elegance in this Cabernet Franc with endless pairing possibilities. Really enjoyable, score 89 points.  

 

Purchased June19, 2013 at Château Des Charmes boutique in Ottawa at $25.95



Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series Cabernet Franc 2010, VQA Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

 

This wine is 100% Cabernet Franc with maturation taking place in a combination of new French and American oak for 12 months, the alcohol comes in at 14.6%.

Great nose on this wine with aromas of vanilla, wild berries, plums, black currants, tobacco leaf, cedar and gentle wood spices. On the mouthfeel, a medium-full bodied wine with a great spicy energy on the palate, fresh acidity and silky tannins. This wines finish is long, with loads of energy and very flavourful. The Oldfield Series Cabernet Franc is always the first Tinhorn Creek wine to sell out every year, and for good reason. It is a youthful wine with bright and spicy flavours. Absolutely gorgeous, score 91 points.  

Purchased March 1, 2013 at the Vancouver International Wine Festival at $34.99



Inniskillin Winemakers Series Three Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2010, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

Unfortunately there was no information posted on this wine from the winery web site. This wine did manage to score a gold medal at the Wine Access 2012 Canadian Wine Awards in the Cabernet Franc category and a top five finish in the red wine of the year category.

This wine opened up with aromas of red and black fruit, vanilla, savoury spices and sweet oak. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, flavourful, quit luscious with flavours of blackcurrant, stewed plum and tobacco leaf, noticeable acidity and fine well integrated tannins. Crushed ripe wild berries explode on this wine and a very smooth finish. While this wine may not be very typical of a Cabernet Franc in my view, in this very warm 2010 vintage, Inniskillin managed to make a very flavourful wine. Strongly recommended, score 89 points.

Purchased December 21, 2012 Wine Rack in Ottawa at $22.95

Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc 2007, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

Poplar Grove is one of my favourite wine makers of red wines in British Columbia. They make full bodied, rich and savoury wines, just like this Cabernet Franc. Made with 100% Cabernet Franc grapes, maturation took place in French oak for 21 months, with 9 months in bottles before release and alcohol coming in at 14.8%.

This wine opens up with aromas of  cherry, plum, tobacco leaves, bell pepper, sage and vanilla notes. On the monthfeel full bodied and spicy, lively acidity and silky tannins. Very good length and energy on the finish with flavours of red fruit and savoury herbs wrapped in fine tannins. Drinking well now or hold 2-3 more years, score 91 points.

Purchased at the 2011 Vancouver Playhouse Wine Show at $34.90