Cave Spring Vineyards 2016 Cabernet Franc Estate

Cave Spring Vineyards 2016 Cabernet Franc Estate

Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

$34.95

Coaxing the best out of Cabernet Franc has been a serious behind-the-scenes project at Cave Spring. The winemaking team now has a string of rich and rewarding estate bottled examples dating back to 2012 to show for its efforts, with the newly released 2016 showing impressive concentration and complexity even in its relative youth. Taken from a single block of 18-year-old vines, this was fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in a mix of new (20 percent) and older French oak barrels. This is a rich and full-bodied red that’s bright and ripe, with dark fruit, cedar and savoury notes on the palate. Length isn’t an issue here. Drink now to 2026. (93/100)