ASKERNE CABERNET FRANC 2021

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"Toasted aromatics with vanillin oak sweetness, raspberry and red currant notes mixed with some darker fruit tones, tobacco, leather and a hint cardamom spice. Savoury with upfront sweet berry fruits, spicy and rich on the palate with excellent concentration and a long juicy finish.

This wine was made from grapes grown on the stony and sandy terrace of the vineyard. The grapes were fermented in open top tanks with inoculated yeast. Gentle hand plunging was used for extraction, and the wine was then held on skins for an extended period of 4 weeks of post ferment maceration. The wine was then pressed and racked to French oak barriques where it was aged for 12 months. The final blend has a 25% new oak component and 25% second fill."

Rated Excellent & 93/100 Cameron Douglas MS, The Real Review, July 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"Great colour and decent concentration leads to a bouquet and palate of dark berries and olive, some dried herb and black currant, there’s a soft leafy quality then baking spices of barrel and coffee bean. Dry with a moderately firm texture, tannins deliver a chalky mouthfeel and acidity adds vibrato and freshness. Well made, classic and perfect with myriad red meat dishes and cheeses. A wine with length and perfect concentration with best drinking from late 2024 through 2031."

Joelle Thomson, drinksbiz Magazine, August/September 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"If there is one big red grape that is trending now and offers a surprise factor in every sip, it is Cabernet Franc. This wine from Askerne in Hawke's Bay proves the point with its perfumed red and dark, juicy black plum flavours combined in a powerful, structured, velverty red wine. It is easy to taste why Cabernet Franc is a firm new favourite of red wine devotees globally. I hope we see more of it planted in New Zealand."

Reviews for previous vintages below…

5 Stars & Number 1 Cuisine NZ Bordeaux Style Red, June 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"This wine comes from grapes grown on the stony, sandy terrace of the vineyard, on the plains beside the Tukituki River. Cabernet franc is leafy, very fragrant and supple, with a lighter body than its progeny cabernet sauvignon (the other parent is sauvignon blanc). The judges’ notes reflect classic notes of cedar, lifted fragrance and elegant, flowing palate with red fruit and spice through to the end of its crunchy, refreshing finish. It sees 22% new oak, which is more Saint-Émilion than Loire-like in interpretation, but the site delivers a distinctly cooler-climate style, so the result is halfway between the two."