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Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $156.06 $173.40
The 2017 Saumur Brézé Les Arboises, from the south-facing monopole that was planted on sand and silt topsoil over...
WA
92
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $167.95
3 bottles: $164.59
This shows great tension between the firm but ripe tannins and the intensely flavored palate, which displays notes of...
WS
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $93.95
If there's a Cabernet Franc vineyard you need to know in the Saumur Champigny - or the Loire or the world for that...
VM
95
Sale
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $382.95 $405.94
Blackberries, black olives, and Indian spices with dried flowers. Full-bodied with exquisite tannins and perfumed...
JS
98

Barbera Cabernet Franc 2017 1.5Ltr

For centuries now, the beautiful red grapes of the Barbera varietal have been grown in Italy, where they are prized for their unusual high acid content and low tannins, brought about by their thin skins. The Barbera grape varietal thrives in warmer climates, and has had some success overseas in the new world, where its strongly aromatic flavors of intense hedgerow fruits make it a favorite with wineries and wine drinkers looking for a grape which offers plenty of interesting characteristics. Interestingly, the differences between young and aged wines made from this varietal are quite significant, with younger bottles holding a plethora of berry flavors, including blueberry and raspberry notes, and oak aged wines made from the Barbera grape being much loved for their ability to become extremely complex and spicy, and picking up vanilla flavors from the wood they are barreled in.

Cabernet Franc is not simply an important grape varietal for the fact that it is one of the most widely grown strains of vine in the world, but also because it is a vital grape in the production of many of the finest wines the world has ever seen. For centuries in its native France, it has been a varietal synonymous with elegance and high quality, and has become a key fruit in the production of the Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blended wines which have gone down in history thanks to their magnificent flavors, aromas and levels of aged complexity. However, Cabernet Franc is also a wine grape varietal for use in single variety, unblended wines, and has plenty to offer on its own. Most commonly, it is renowned for its wide bouquet, which often includes fascinating notes of tobacco, violets or bell pepper over a beautifully pale and decadent liquid.