Cabernet Franc

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

The ethereal lift and perfumes of cabernet franc emerge immediately on the nose. Loads of bright red fruits. Lightly perfumed violets and a little dark cherry provide a compelling and engaging opening. It's a medium-bodied palate with a quite firm thread of tannins, but it presents with plush, lush fruit that's soft and supple. Has the structure but also the...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

The most beautiful and pretty cabernet franc from this season, which, with its cooler, longer ripening period, certainly suited the variety. Aromas show some nice perfumed red fruits, raspberry and cherry. And then the palate is so seamlessly soft and supple, with finely integrated chalky tannins and neatly understated oak that allows the fruit to fully express itself. Finishes with...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

Perhaps not the aromas and perfume you might expect from cabernet franc, but in this warm year, it's resulted in a wine of richness and power that provides another expression of this variety. Red and black fruit notes with a little Cherry Ripe-type influence. The palate is generous and concentrated, and slightly medium-bodied, so it's a wine of elegance and...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

The '23 vintage and longer season seem to have suited this beautiful, aromatic, perfumed variety really well. It's allowed the lovely floral violet and mulberry notes to accumulate on the nose, with just a trace of graphite. The palate is concentrated, with a firmish graphite tannin contribution, a little oyster-shell minerality and plush red fruits that roll and cascade across...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

A beautiful expression of this largely right-bank variety. Comes from the northern part of Margaret River. Shows some quite beautiful perfumed red and black fruits on the nose. Palate has lovely softness and smooth richness with a medium-weight feel. Well-integrated, fine, silky tannins, and some subtle oak work well into the soft fruit. A little spicy edginess on the finish...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

There's plenty of punch in this cabernet franc that comes from smack bang in the heart of Wilyabrup. Perfume notes of the variety are well to the fore with lifted red fruit, floral notes. The palate is beautifully structured. This is no simple cab franc. This is a cab franc with poise, polish, and structure. A fine thread of tannin...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet franc was a variety well suited to the longer, cooler, and quite beautiful 2023 vintage. It certainly allowed those lovely aromatic perfumes and floral characters to emerge. The palate is refined and elegant, capturing the vintage brilliantly. It also has substance and power, delivered with fine tannins, judicious oak use, and beautiful fruit expression. Lovely drinking now, but with...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

The wines from 2025 had a certain delicacy about them, and this cabernet franc captures that. The nose shows a mix of dark fruits with a light floral lift. The palate has such an effortless, graceful feel, with bright red fruits supported by silky fine tannins and gentle use of oak. This is a cabernet franc with real character and...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

Predominantly cabernet franc, with a little cabernet sauvignon for structure and a touch of merlot for flesh. The wine shows a delightful fragrance of scented red fruits and a hint of tobacco leaf. The palate has structure, delicacy, fine-grained tannins, and silky smooth oak supporting the style perfectly. A standout example of cabernet franc in Margaret River, showing what the...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

This Margaret River sourced wine is all about vibrancy, energy and brightness. It is evident on the nose and cemented on the palate. Lovely dark fruits with some perfume lifting ethereally. The palate is medium weight, but there is good tannin influence creating structure that shows this is no wimpish wine. It is a wine of substance and poise.

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

Dukes started dabbling with this variety a few years ago, and he makes it in an almost no-holds-barred manner, creating a cabernet franc with structure, purpose, and tremendous power. So if you're used to your cabernet francs that are a little bit wimpish, this ain't one of 'em. Deep blackberry, dark plum, and dark chocolate notes on the nose. A...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

I really do like this wine. It's cabernet franc, but it has some grunt, coupled with that typical seamless palate feel, and lovely, floral lifted aromatics. It comes from the northern parts of Margaret River, and that's where it gets its depth and power. The colour is brilliant, vibrant. And the palate, thoroughly delightful with a fine chalky, dusty influence,...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

The beautiful, lifted aromatics that are cabernet franc emerge immediately on the nose. Lovely bright red fruits with those slightly African violet notes and a touch of liqueur, chocolate and cherry. The palate is seamlessly medium weight but with good depth, displaying wonderful liqueured fruit characters. It has good tannins and some nice oak integration. It's a well-managed wine.

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

This is a slightly firmer style of cabernet franc, which you probably expect from this warmer season, and yet it carries the bright perfumes that are synonymous with this variety—slightly floral, a little violet, and a touch of plumminess. The palate is generous, but perhaps more in the medium-bodied zone, and it delivers with a degree of subtlety and finesse...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

Domaine Naturaliste Le Naturaliste Cabernet Franc 2021 ($92) Dukes introduced this substantial statement of Cabernet Franc a few years ago. This is a Cab Franc with power and concentrated intensity. It starts with an aromatic combination of red fruits and liqueur chocolate and cherry. The palate is firmly structured with firm tannins and a liberal amount of oak supporting an...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

The generosity of this vintage seems to have been well suited to cabernet franc. This is a wine with texture and palate richness delivered with finesse. Varietal perfumes open with red and blackcurrant characters merging with a subtle oyster shell minerality. Smooth and vibrant juicy palate is supported by powdery tannins. There is great energy here. A terrific wine.

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

Always one of my favourites from Cape Grace. This slightly cooler vintage has suited this highly perfumed variety, highlighting the delightful scents of red fruits and violets. A hands-on approach coaxes the best from the fruit. Open fermentation, hand plunging and basket pressing gently tease the succulent red fruits into a seamless and velvety smooth palate. Has potential to cellar...

Frankland River

Cabernet Franc

A variety that is mostly blended with cabernet sauvignon, yet more are releasing straight varietal versions when things line up in the season. This was one of those times. Perfumed red berry and violet with a floral leafy lift on the nose. The palate is medium bodied and elegantly crafted with the red berry and subtle oak working in harmony....

Mount Barker

Cabernet Franc

A variety that works well in cooler regions, but still needs to be ripe, which in this season wasn’t a problem. The perfumed red fruits of raspberry and mulberry with a little violet scent working in are just beautiful. The palate is a striking feature. It has structure and poise but with a typical varietal elegance. One of the better...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

A fragrant and highly perfumed wine that illustrates the characters of this variety beautifully. It's elegant and medium bodied but still highly flavoursome with a silky-smooth palate structure built on lovely fruit and fine-grained oak supported by silky tannins. Nice jubey red fruit characters with just a trace of mineral oyster shell and bay leaf.

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

A thoroughly delightful medium-bodied cab franc from Margaret River. The varietal perfumes are augmented with other notes of black olive and charcuterie meats. Supple with fine chalky tannins integrated with the light touch of oak. A wine for the medium term.