Domaine Naturaliste Le Naturaliste Cabernet Franc 2020

After nearly three decades working closely with producers in Margaret River, Western Australia, renowned winemaker Bruce Dukes launched Domaine Naturaliste – his own range of highly acclaimed wines. An homage to the region where he honed his craft, Domaine Naturaliste is a space for Bruce to demonstrate his mastery of the classic Margaret River varietals. Applying decades of international and local knowledge spanning terroir, fruit selection, palate and aroma. Domaine Naturaliste was namedJames Halliday's Best Value Winery for 2020, the wines are balanced, complex and delicious.

Cradled by the Indian and Great Southern Oceans, the Margaret River wine region enjoys a gentle maritime climate of cool wet winters and warm dry summers. Plentiful, pure water and idyllic Indian summers provide superb growing conditions for many grape varietals and is also superb for people. The region’s geologically ancient decomposed granite soils are well suited to grape growing. Combined with the favourable climate and own-rooted grape cultivars, the vines and wines are alive with a vivid core flavour and generous texture. Bruce and his team ensure healthy soils and balanced vines to produce the finest quality fruit. Domaine Naturaliste Vineyard is located in the heart of the highly acclaimed Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River in Western Australia.

Domaine Naturaliste Le Naturaliste Cabernet Franc has subtle threads of violets, cherry blossom and fresh juniper berries serve as highlights to an ample tapestry of black plums, cacao nib and ironstone. Sheer textures of crushed granite and black cherry skin are laced with porcelain tannin and quenching natural acidity.

Good depth of colour and a bright purple rim, the bouquet has good varietal raspberry, crushed herb and cassis aromas, with a whiff of vanillan oak, the palate is soft and bright, with chocolate and blackberry alongside dark-cherry and fine, ripe tannins. There is none of the greenness that can afflict this variety. Very smart franc. (5% cabernet sauvignon. 16 months in 500-litre puncheons, 40% of them new). Drink: Now-2032. - Huon Hooke, The Real Review, 95 Points.

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Cabernet Franc
Country - Australia
Region - Margaret River, Western Australia
Vintage - 2020
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14%