2006 Mark Ryan Long Haul
Black cherries and baking spices infuse the aroma of this wine and fill it with power. With some time in the glass these are joined by subtle notes of herbs together with floral notes. This is a very structured wine: a full body is matched by tannins that continue to assert themselves a decade after the vintage. Intense flavours of blackberry, black cherry and plum get support from notes of mocha, allspice and a hint of leafiness. Everything here is dialed up but in proportion allowing the wine to carry its heft with good balance. Delicious now but years of life left. 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, all sourced from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, among the very top sites in Washington State.
Excellent+
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2004 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Right Bank
Made up of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, this wine showed big fruit, solid structure and is drinking well now but could easily go much longer. Great complexity with notes of black cherry, plum, stewed fruits and vegetal notes combined with earth, spice and herbs. A powerful but balanced wine with a nice acidity on its wonderfully long finish.
Excellent+
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2013 Dracaena Cabernet Franc
Medium to dark red in colour, the nose is very fragrant, offering up scents of black currants, and black cherries with nuances of tobacco leaf. The body is medium plus and the tannins are still noticeable at this young age but they are sweet and not astringent or rough. There is a lovely texture to this wine that gives it a soft mouthfeel, punctuated with a very precise and long finish. The fruit dominates the palate at the moment but after another year in bottle the hints of spice should become a bit more noticeable after the fruit settles in, and this will only add to the complexity. 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Petite Syrah from Westside Ranch in Paso Robles sweetspot, the Adelaida District.
Excellent
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2010 Barrage Cellars Outcast Cabernet Franc
The 2010 Barrage Cellars Outcast is a 100% Cabernet Franc from two of Washington State’s most renown vineyards–60% Boushey & 40% Red Willow. The result is a big, bold wine with a softness and balance that in a blind tasting had us thinking it might have been a Merlot. Blackcurrant, black cherry and plum dominated the nose with secondary spicy notes of pepper. A wonderfully complex wine, the plum and spice come through on the palate first and then you pick up the tobacco and leather on a lovely medium plus finish. Drinking beautifully now but has many years to go–its structure and complexity will make this an even more interesting wine as it ages. With only 263 cases produced, do your best to get your hands on a bottle if you can, you won’t be disappointed!
Excellent
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Franc: The Other Cabernet
Cabernet Sauvignon is perhaps the most widely known red grape varietal. But its close relative, Cabernet Franc, is much less well known, which for consumers is a shame, because it can be a wonderful contributor to a blend as well as making some very good wine on its own.
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2006 Mark Ryan Long Haul
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