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91POINTS
16¾/20
Black Swift Vineyards Desert Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2016
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaDeep vinous purple in the glass, this wine has a fullsome, expressive nose that leaps directly to the piriform cortex. Cabernet franc aromas present perfectly: raspberry, graphite, violet, plum, leafy green, and a hint of shoe polish. Impressive, and quite arresting. There is cassis, cherry, linzertorte, and clear oak whiffs of toasted cedar and sandlewood. In the mouth the wine is expansive and mighty, with dark black and red fruit, cocoa powder, spice and a distinct cool-climate leafy laurel savoury character. The tannins are quite perpendicular in their youth. Wonderfully fresh, clean, juicy and leaner on the palate than the nose suggests, showing classic BC balance of ripe fruit, elevated acidity, and herbal greenery. Maturation in new French oak casks for 31 months gives a nice vanillin lacquer. Desert Valley Vineyard sits on the alluvial fans of the Golden Mile Bench and this wine is impressive throughout; more relaxing time in bottle will help stretch out the tannins. Full bodied and dynamic, it needs robust food like an elk braise or venison pie.Tasted: 05 November 2019Tasted by: DJ KearneyPrices:| BC | $54.99 | 750ml | winery direct, select retailers and restaurants |
