2021Reserve Cabernet Franc
2021Reserve Cabernet Franc
83% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vibrant and dark like pomegranate juice in the glass, the 2021 Matthews Reserve Cabernet Franc has considerable weight and lift. Violets and wild mountain blackberry aromatics combine with pencil lead and pipe tobacco accents. The lively palate opens with milk chocolate, huckleberry, kirsch, and licorice. The fleshy mid palate is structured with powdery tannins and uplifting freshness. Finishing long with decadent black forest cake, incense, and warmed plums, this wine is a pleasure to devour.
Each parcel was hand-sorted from the vineyard, with gentle fermentation and extended maceration culminating over 30+ days. Cellared in 100% new French oak for 21 months
Awards & Accolades
"The sensational 2021 Matthews ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Franc will quite frankly rival anything of its kind from Washington or California. It is a sensational, elegant effort that is already drinking beautifully. The wine displays a fantastic herbal character alongside the massive more of dark chocolate and heady dark fruits. This is a wow-factor, heavyhitter of a wine that is a must-purchase for any lover of Cabernet Franc. Drink 2023-2038"
- 96 points, Owen Bargreen, owenbargreen.com
"The 2021 Reserve Cabernet Franc from Matthews is cellared in 100% new French oak for 21 months and displays a brooding, deep, ruby-purple core with a light red rim. It’s a blend of 83% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, with alcohol checking in at 15.2%, even though you don’t notice it. Dark strawberries, black raspberries, crushed stones, green peppercorn, baking spice, and wet leaves aromas dominate the nose and the palate. Smooth but present tannins complement the excellent backbone and structure on the mid-palate. A little over 500 cases made. Highly recommended. $185 2023-2038"
- 96 points, Jeremy Young, International Wine Report
"The 2021 Cabernet Franc Reserve is an understated wine with a smoldering blend of rich cherry sauce, dusty rose and hints of autumnal spice. Luxuriously soft and supple, this flows across the palate with ease, displaying floral-laced red fruits and peppery inner tones. Long and remarkably fresh, the 2021 finishes with a gently tannic grip."
- 94 points, Eric Guido, Vinous