Frankland Estate Olmo's Reward Cabernet Franc 2020

Among my favourite domestic clarets because it is simply so gorgeous young, while boasting the propensity to reward the faithful after long-term cellaring. Mid-weighted, detailed, impeccably restrained and so fresh. A sumptuous nose of pencil lead, cassis, crushed tea tree leaves, sage and marjoram. A dab of varnish, a smear of black olive and a waft of graphite, straying long across the mouth and into the mirage of the mind. Stunning wine. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. From organically grown grapes.

Cabernet franc is at the heart of Olmo’s Reward with glugs of cabernet sauvignon and for the first time mourvèdre and a splash of malbec. This is up there as one of the finest to date. A seamless combination of the varieties morphs into a unified, harmonious red. Supple, fine tannins yet intrinsically powerful in a way, as they coat the fuller-bodied palate, but this never feels big or weighty. The finish is as long as it is beautiful.