2022 Hickinbotham The Nest Cabernet Franc

Winemaker Chris Carpenter's inspiration for this single varietal release of Cabernet Franc is none other than the Bordeaux icon, Cheval Blanc.

Carpenter sees the depth and power of Bordeaux here, albeit through the silky McLaren Vale viel. It's a devastatingly smooth and seductive wine with perfectly ripe blackcurrant, boysenberry, violet and green leaf characters in spades.

Where so many modern Australian Cabernet Franc are built in the more youthful, energetic style reminiscent of the Loire Valley, this is a dead-serious cellaring option and arguably one of the most impressive examples of the variety ever produced in this country.

Buy it. Drink it. Savour it. Watch it unfurl over the coming decades. This is as good as Cabernet Franc gets in this country.

95 points
"Expressive take on cabernet franc... elegance and varietal clarity... refined structural drive."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points
"Impossible to put down... bramble, cassis, salted licorice, star anise... seductive and supple."
- Shanteh Wale (Wine Pilot)