{"title":"Cabernet Franc","description":"\u003cp\u003eCabernet Franc is the aromatic parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, lighter in body and fresher in style. In the Loire Valley, in Chinon and Saumur-Champigny, it makes perfumed reds with raspberry, violet and a signature leafy, graphite note. In Bordeaux, especially Saint-Émilion, it adds fragrance and finesse to Merlot-based blends, while Argentina and South Africa produce riper, richer versions. Pairs well with roast pork, charcuterie, lentils and dishes with herbs.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"2022-malbec-el-enemigo","title":"Malbec, El Enemigo 2022","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eViolet and plum with a light herbal note, then ripe red fruit, liquorice, ginger and vanilla. Medium-bodied, juicy but firm, with fine-grained tannins and a mineral finish. Malbec 90%, Cabernet Franc 10%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEl Enemigo was founded in 2010 by Adrianna Catena and Alejandro Vigil, head winemaker at Bodega Catena Zapata, and took 17th place in the 2025 World's Best Vineyards awards. The fruit comes from Gualtallary in Tupungato, at 1,470 metres, where deep calcareous and rocky soils give small, concentrated berries; the vineyard is farmed to organic practice without certification, with high trellising, drip irrigation and hand picking. Fermentation ran on indigenous yeasts for 20 days at up to 29°C, followed by 30 days of maceration on skins, and the wine was matured for 15 months in foudre (50%), stainless steel (25%) and oak barrel (25%). Vigil calls 2022 the best year he has lived through, a vintage across Mendoza of firm acidity, ripe fruit and balanced alcohol.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with grilled ribeye, slow-cooked beef short rib, beef empanadas or a hard, aged cheese. Drinking well now and through to around 2030; give it half an hour in a decanter. Sealed under DIAM. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"El Enemigo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58475903975807,"sku":"HNW-5865322A","price":26.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5865322A.jpg?v=1789917898"},{"product_id":"2021-gran-enemigo-red-blend-el-enemigo","title":"Gran Enemigo Red Blend, El Enemigo 2021","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlackberry and blueberry lead, lifted by herbal and floral notes and accents of cardamom and liquorice. Full-bodied and velvety, with fresh acidity, ripe supple tannins and a savoury, faintly saline edge running through the finish. Malbec, Cabernet Franc.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEl Enemigo was founded in 2010 by Adrianna Catena, daughter of Nicolás Catena Zapata, with Alejandro Vigil, head winemaker at Bodega Catena Zapata; the name translates as 'the enemy', a nod to the internal battles behind the pursuit of better wine and to challenging the status quo, and the estate placed 17th in the Top 100 of the World's Best Vineyards Awards 2025. The fruit comes from a high-density vineyard in Gualtallary, Tupungato, at 1,470 metres, where wide diurnal shifts give the grapes a long hang time; the terroir is deliberately varied, running from sandy loam over a limestone base for the Malbec to calcareous, rocky soil for the Cabernet Franc. The site is farmed to organic practices without certification, using natural herb and pest control, high trellises and drip irrigation, and everything is picked by hand. The 2021 harvest ran over five separate passes across a month and a half, followed by five days of cold maceration and a wild-yeast ferment in concrete vats averaging 22°C, with a fifth of the grapes fermented as whole bunches and 23 days of maceration in total; maturation then lasted 16 months, again in concrete. That season was cool and wetter, with 15 to 20 per cent fewer degree-days than 2020, giving moderate sugars, optimal acidity and unusually ripe skins.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. It suits grilled ribeye, slow-roast lamb, beef short rib off the barbecue, or a mature hard cheese. Drinking now but built to keep ten to twenty years; an hour in a decanter helps while it is young. Sealed with a DIAM closure. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"El Enemigo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58475933434239,"sku":"HNW-5865221A","price":53.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5865221A.jpg?v=1789918147"},{"product_id":"2021-cabernet-franc-gran-enemigo-single-vineyard-el-cepillo-el-enemigo","title":"Cabernet Franc, Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard El Cepillo, El Enemigo 2021","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eViolet, cassis, plum and dark cherry, with mint chocolate, black pepper and a graphite edge behind the fruit. Full-bodied but precise: crunchy red fruit, silky tannins and racy acidity, closing on a mineral note. Cabernet Franc, Malbec.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEl Enemigo was founded in 2010 by Adrianna Catena, daughter of Nicolas Catena Zapata, with Alejandro Vigil, head winemaker at Bodega Catena Zapata; the estate placed 17th in the Top 100 of the World's Best Vineyards Awards 2025. The fruit comes from Pampa El Cepillo in San Carlos, one of the southernmost vineyards of the Uco Valley, at 1,300 metres on colluvial soils with marine limestone beneath; the site is farmed to organic practices without certification, using natural herb and pest control, high trellises, drip irrigation and a manual harvest. It is one of four Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc wines Alejandro Vigil makes to an identical blend of 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec and identical ageing, so that soil and altitude do all the distinguishing. The grapes were picked over five passes spanning a month and a half, cold-macerated for five days, fermented in concrete vats at around 26°C with 30% whole bunches and roughly 40 days of total maceration, then aged 15 months in concrete. The cool, wetter 2021 season brought 15 to 20 per cent fewer degree-days than 2020, giving moderate sugars, ripe skins and optimal acidity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. It suits grilled ribeye, slow-roast lamb, duck breast or a mature hard cheese. Drinking well now and built to keep ten to twenty years; an hour in a decanter helps while it is young. Sealed with a DIAM closure. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"El Enemigo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58475975541119,"sku":"HNW-5865021A","price":70.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5865021A.jpg?v=1789918485"},{"product_id":"2021-cabernet-franc-gran-enemigo-single-vineyard-gualtallary-el-enemigo","title":"Cabernet Franc, Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard, Gualtallary, El Enemigo 2021","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlackberry, graphite and mountain herbs, lifted by violet, cassis and a hint of sour cherry. Full-bodied yet taut, with a silky frame, chalky tannins and vibrant acidity holding freshness and depth in balance through a long finish. Cabernet Franc, Malbec.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEl Enemigo was founded in 2010 by Adrianna Catena, daughter of Nicolas Catena Zapata, with Alejandro Vigil, head winemaker at Bodega Catena Zapata; the estate placed 17th in the Top 100 of the World's Best Vineyards Awards 2025. This bottling comes from the Gualtallary vineyard in Tupungato, at 1,470 metres on calcareous, rocky soils, the highest of the four Gran Enemigo single vineyards. All four are made to the same blend of 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec with identical vinification and ageing, so the differences between them come from altitude and soil alone. The vineyard is farmed to organic practices without certification, using natural herb and pest control, high trellises and drip irrigation, and the grapes are hand-picked. Fruit was harvested over five passes spanning a month and a half, cold-macerated for four days, then fermented in concrete vats at around 23°C with 40% whole bunches and roughly 40 days of total maceration, before 15 months in concrete tanks. The 2021 season was cool and wetter, with 15 to 20 per cent fewer degree-days than 2020, giving moderate sugars, ripe skins and optimal acidity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. It suits roast rib of beef, herb-crusted rack of lamb, venison or a mature Comté. Drinking now and built to keep ten to twenty years; give it an hour in a decanter while it is young. Sealed with a DIAM closure.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"El Enemigo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58475987861887,"sku":"HNW-5865521A","price":84.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5865521A.jpg?v=1789918604"},{"product_id":"2023-cabernet-sauvignon-circa-77-xanadu","title":"Cabernet Sauvignon, Circa 77, Xanadu 2023","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRipe black fruits with a spicy, toasty note from the oak, opening onto juicy cassis and a savoury edge. Medium-bodied and polished, with supple tannins and enough freshness to keep the fruit moving. Cabernet Sauvignon 89%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Merlot 4%, Petit Verdot 2%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eXanadu was established in Margaret River by Dr John Lagan, an Irishman who arrived in 1968 and planted his first vines with his wife Eithne in 1977, naming the property after the paradise in Coleridge's Kubla Khan; 65 hectares of vines now grow on the original estate. The Cabernet Sauvignon comes predominantly from the estate-grown Houghton clone on ancient granite soils full of ironstone gravel, free-draining and low in water and nutrient holding capacity, which keeps the balance between canopy and fruit; the Indian and Southern Oceans meet nearby and the sea breezes that follow temper the ripening. The vineyard is a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and is worked with cover crops, biodiversity planting, careful water management and sheep to graze the weeds. Fruit was crushed and destemmed, then fermented in a mix of rotary and static fermenters at 26°C for five to seven days, with part of the blend left on skins afterwards for extra plushness and texture before a gentle press; malolactic conversion ran in both tank and barrel, and the wine spent 14 months in French oak barriques, a fifth of them new.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. It suits a rare steak, roast lamb, a beef ragù with pappardelle or a wedge of aged cheddar. Drink now or cellar for five to ten years. Sealed with a screwcap. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Xanadu Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476003852671,"sku":"HNW-5440323A","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5440323A.jpg?v=1789918706"},{"product_id":"2020-cru-artisan-medoc-chateau-la-tessonniere","title":"Cru Artisan, Médoc, Château La Tessonnière 2020","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlackcurrant and raspberry lead, with a graphite edge and a light touch of spice behind the fruit. Medium-bodied and lively, with fine tannins and a rounded finish. Merlot 52%, Cabernet Sauvignon 46%, Cabernet Franc 2%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA Cru Artisan estate of 18 hectares at Civrac-en-Médoc and Bégadan, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary about 70 kilometres north-west of Bordeaux. Cédric Colemyn, the fifth generation of the founding family, took over in 1995 and reinvested in the vineyard, which now holds HVE Level 3 certification for its environmental practice. The 25-year-old vines grow at 6,500 per hectare on clay-limestone ridges and are picked plot by plot once tasting and analysis show full maturity. Fermentation ran in stainless steel and concrete vats at around 26°C with twice-daily pump-overs, followed by 18 months in vat and bottling without fining to keep the fruit intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with roast lamb, steak and chips, duck breast, or hard cheese such as Comté. Drinking well now and through 2029; a short decant helps but is not essential. Sealed with a Twin Top technical cork. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château La Tessonnière","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476077842815,"sku":"HNW-42139201","price":20.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/42139201.jpg?v=1789919157"},{"product_id":"2020-saint-emilion-grand-cru-chateau-boutisse","title":"Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Château Boutisse 2020","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn intense nose of ripe, deep red fruit and blackcurrant backed by sweet toasted spice, then mocha, caramel and dark chocolate on a smooth, velvety palate. Full-bodied, with medium acidity and well-integrated tannins carrying a long, cedary finish. Merlot 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Carménère 5%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Boutisse lies in the commune of Saint Christophe des Bardes, one of the top communes of Saint-Émilion, and was bought in 1996 by winemaker and oenologist Xavier Milhade; his children Elodie and Marc run it today. Its 25 hectares sit near the highest point of the appellation, spread over the limestone plateau and its slopes, where chalky clay topsoil covers large chunks of limestone that regulate the vine's water supply and create the moisture stress good grapes need. The soils are tilled rather than treated, oats and mustard are grown for green manure, and the fruit is picked by hand; the estate was certified HVE3 in 2017 and reclassified as Grand Cru Classé in 2022. Vinification runs parcel by parcel in small underground concrete tanks that let the wine be run off by gravity, with a proportion fermented in 500-litre oak, malolactic conversion in new barrels and 12 to 15 months on fine lees in French oak.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C. Good with roast beef, rack of lamb, duck, mushroom risotto and aged hard cheeses. Drinking now and over the next ten to twenty years; give it an hour in a decanter at this stage. Sealed with a technical cork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Boutisse","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476101960063,"sku":"HNW-4214020A","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4214020A.jpg?v=1789919260"},{"product_id":"2020-montagne-saint-emilion-chateau-du-haut-plateau","title":"Montagne Saint-Émilion, Château du Haut Plateau 2020","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlum and wild berry fruit, ripe and clean, with no oak in the way. Medium-bodied and supple, with soft tannins and a rounded, approachable finish. Merlot 70%, Cabernet Franc 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThree generations of the Amart family have farmed this 15-hectare estate, set between the villages of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol in the Montagne Saint-Émilion satellite on Bordeaux's right bank. The vines sit on a south-facing clay slope beside Château Montaiguillon, which gives sunlight through the day and drainage after rain, while the clay holds water through a warm growing season. Farming is sustainable and certified HVE Level 3, and the fruit is machine-harvested at optimal maturity to hold on to freshness. Fermentation ran on natural yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel with a three-week maceration for colour and supple tannin, and the wine was matured without oak. In 2020 a mild winter and spring brought the vine's cycle forward by two weeks, and an exceptionally sunny first fortnight of September concentrated the berries for a small, ripe crop.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with roast chicken, sausages and mash, mushroom risotto, or a wedge of Tomme. Drinking now and over the next two to three years; no decanting needed. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château du Haut Plateau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476103008639,"sku":"HNW-42301201","price":21.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/42301201.jpg?v=1789919266"},{"product_id":"2020-chateau-de-valois-pomerol","title":"Château de Valois, Pomerol 2020","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack berries and exotic spice, with smoky oak and cedar sitting behind them. The palate is richly textured and generous, full in body with plump tannins and enough acidity to keep it moving, finishing on opulent chocolate. Merlot 77%, Cabernet Franc 23%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau de Valois dates to 1862, when the original vineyards of Château Figeac were restructured. Bernard Leydet held eight hectares here in 1962 and spent the following decades adding Pomerol plots and investing in the cellar; his son Frédéric took over in 1996 and makes the wine today. The vines sit on the southern slopes of the Pomerol plateau, double Guyot trained on gravel and sand over an iron-pan subsoil — the seam that gives Pomerol its savoury, ferrous edge. Fruit is picked by hand. Fermentation ran twenty-eight days in small temperature-controlled concrete vats, and the wine spent fifteen months in oak barrels, a third new, a third one year old and a third two years old, aged on its fine lees without racking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C. Good with roast beef, duck with cherries, mushroom risotto, or a washed-rind cheese. Drinking well now and over the next five to ten years; an hour in a decanter helps. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château de Valois","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476105040255,"sku":"HNW-4147020A","price":43.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4147020A.jpg?v=1789919296"},{"product_id":"2018-goulee-by-cos-destournel-medoc","title":"Goulée by Cos d’Estournel, Médoc 2018","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRipe red and black berries lifted by spice and a mineral edge. Dense and vivacious, full-bodied, with enough freshness to cut the opulence and firm, well-covered tannins behind it. Merlot 73%, Cabernet Sauvignon 21%, Cabernet Franc 6%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGoulée is the Médoc wine of Cos d'Estournel, the Saint-Estèphe estate founded in 1811 by Louis Gaspard d'Estournel, classified a Second Growth in 1855 and acquired in 2000 by Michel Reybier, who has since rebuilt the property around a fully gravity-fed cellar. The vines sit in the northern Médoc between the Gironde Estuary and the Atlantic, where a pronounced oceanic climate blunts both harsh winters and heat waves, so ripening is slow and favours complexity and freshness; the wind that runs through the vineyard dries excess humidity and keeps the fruit healthy. Fermentation took place in small stainless-steel tanks at low temperature with gentle pump-overs to avoid over-extraction and hard tannins, and the wine was matured in French oak. 2018 opened wet and turned into a long, hot, dry summer, giving ripe, concentrated wines with high alcohol and powerful tannins.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C. Good with ribeye, roast lamb, venison, duck and mature hard cheese. Drinking now and over the next ten to twenty years; decant an hour ahead. Sealed with a natural cork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Cos d'Estournel","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476111921535,"sku":"HNW-4249918A","price":35.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4249918A.jpg?v=1789919307"},{"product_id":"2019-la-reserve-de-leoville-barton-saint-julien-chateau-leoville-barton","title":"La Réserve de Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Barton 2019","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eForest berries and dense black fruit, with cedar, coffee and a touch of vanilla spice on top. Full-bodied and traditionally built, the acidity fresh and the tannins robust, running to a long, oaky finish. Cabernet Sauvignon 74%, Merlot 22%, Cabernet Franc 4%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Léoville Barton lies close to the Gironde in Saint-Julien, sandwiched between the water and Château Talbot on the gravel over deep clay that defines the commune. The Barton family has been in Bordeaux since Thomas Barton arrived from Ireland in 1722; his grandson bought part of the Léoville estate in 1826, and Anthony Barton now owns fifty-one hectares here, planted 74% Cabernet Sauvignon in the classic Médoc proportion. Vines are double Guyot trained at high density, average forty-five years old and yield forty-two hectolitres per hectare, worked with traditional ploughing, no weed killers and limited fertiliser. Fermentation lasted about five days with twice-daily pump-overs, the wine sat roughly two weeks on skins, and the press wine — an important part of the blend — went in before malolactic conversion in vat and twelve months in French oak. La Réserve is the second wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 17–18°C. Good with rib of beef, rack of lamb, roast venison, or mature Comté. Drinking from now to around 2035; give it two hours in a decanter.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Léoville Barton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476126568831,"sku":"HNW-4214119A","price":46.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4214119A.jpg?v=1789919342"},{"product_id":"2016-pagodes-de-cos-saint-estephe-cos-destournel","title":"Pagodes de Cos, Saint-Estèphe, Cos d'Estournel 2016","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWarm cassis and black cherry with smoked meat, charcoal, clove and a hint of new leather. Voluptuous and full-bodied, generous in black fruit, the tannins ripe and refined and the finish long and spicy. Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 46%, Petit Verdot 3%, Cabernet Franc 1%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCos d'Estournel was founded in 1811 by Louis Gaspard d'Estournel, who built an Asian-inspired palace at the centre of his vineyard on the site known as the Hill of Pebbles and sold his wine into the Far East and India, earning the name the Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe. Classified a Second Growth in 1855, the estate was bought by Michel Reybier in 2000 and now works from a fully gravity-fed cellar. The vineyard has grown from fourteen hectares in 1791 to a hundred today, a mosaic of gravel-and-clay slopes facing east and south-west around a deep-gravel central plateau, ventilated by the nearby Gironde. Pagodes is drawn from plots identified for it rather than from whatever the grand vin leaves behind. Grapes were chilled on arrival and cold-macerated, fermented at low temperature to avoid harsh extraction, with pump-overs run by gravity, then aged in French oak, 30% of it new. 2016 delivered 62% more rain than usual to the end of June before a warm dry finish, giving a long slow ripening and wine of natural richness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 17–18°C. Good with rib of beef, barbecued short rib, roast venison, or aged Gouda. Drinking well now and through to around 2035; give it two hours in a decanter.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cos d'Estournel","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476138430847,"sku":"HNW-4252616A","price":62.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4252616A.jpg?v=1789919440"},{"product_id":"2015-cru-bourgeois-medoc-chateau-preuillac","title":"Cru Bourgeois, Médoc, Château Preuillac 2015","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlump red berry fruit with a delicate edge of oak spice, fine and elegant rather than powerful. Medium-bodied and silky, with refined tannins and a long finish. Merlot 70%, Cabernet Franc 25%, Cabernet Sauvignon 4%, Petit Verdot 1%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Preuillac stands in the heart of the Médoc, ten kilometres north of Saint-Estèphe, in a château dating from 1869, and was included in the 1932 Crus Bourgeois classification. New owners have renovated the cellar and installed conical fermenters, with Nathalie Billard making the wine. The 30-hectare vineyard sits on a single block planted in the 1970s, now averaging 40 years of age, over soils that are half clay, limestone and gravel, a quarter gravel and a quarter sandy gravel; work follows la lutte raisonnée, with green harvesting and debudding done by hand. Fermentation took place in thermo-regulated wooden tanks over eight to ten days, beginning cool and finishing at 28°C, after which 70% of the wine spent 12 months in French oak from several cooperages, with part of the malolactic fermentation in barrel. The 2015 season gave generous flowering, a hot dry early summer, a cooler damper August and fine September weather.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with roast lamb, rib of beef, duck breast, or a hard cheese such as aged Gouda. Decant for half an hour before serving. A decade on, the wine is drinking now and should hold for around five more years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Preuillac","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476144656767,"sku":"HNW-4228115A","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4228115A.jpg?v=1789919456"},{"product_id":"2017-saint-emilion-grand-cru-chateau-beau-sejour-becot","title":"Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 2017","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBramble fruit and crème de cassis lead, with dark chocolate and a lift of mint behind them. Medium in weight, the tannins plush rather than firm, and the finish mineral and energetic. Merlot 80%, Cabernet Franc 15%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Beau-Séjour Bécot is a Premier Grand Cru Classé estate in Saint-Émilion, run by the third generation of the Bécot family with Juliette Bécot and Julien Barthe at its head and Thomas Duclos consulting. The 17.24 hectares sit on the clay-limestone asteria plateau west of the town, planted at 6,600 vines per hectare with an average vine age of 45 years and yields held to 37 hl\/ha. Fruit is hand-picked and sorted on tables, then vinified plot by plot in 70-hectolitre stainless steel vats using gentle infusion extraction under an immersed cap, with part of the crop fermented whole in 600-litre oak; maturation runs 16 months, 65% in new barrels and the rest in ageing vats, amphora and a 20-hectolitre cask. In 2017 the Merlot came in between 14 and 22 September and the Cabernets on 28 and 29 September, a classic year that gave structure, good acidity and concentration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C and decant an hour ahead. Roast rib of beef, duck breast, mushroom risotto or a plate of hard sheep's cheeses all suit it. Drinking well now and through the next decade.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Beau-Séjour Bécot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476215370111,"sku":"HNW-4247417A","price":74.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4247417A.jpg?v=1789920009"},{"product_id":"2012-chateau-l-evangile-pomerol","title":"Château L'Evangile, Pomerol 2012","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn exquisite bouquet of ripe Morello cherry and raspberry with mocha behind it. The attack is powerful and concentrated, the tannins dense and very ripe, and the palate mature and rich through to a silky finish carried by real freshness. Merlot 93%, Cabernet Franc 7%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau L'Evangile is one of Pomerol's oldest estates and among its most highly regarded, owned since 1990 by the Rothschild family of Château Lafite and advised by Michel Rolland. The 22 hectares sit on a plateau southeast of Pomerol, close enough to the Saint-Émilion border that little more than a road separates them, and are divided into 43 plots named for their location across swelling clays, gravel-clay and sandy soils; the vines are 79% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, with grassed rows, beehives and two kilometres of hedgerows. Vinification took place in temperature-controlled cement vats of 35 to 81 hectolitres with gentle pump-overs and controlled maceration, malolactic conversion in barrel, and roughly 18 months of ageing in an average of 70% new French oak alongside clay amphora. The 2012 season opened cold and wet with uneven flowering and heavy yield losses, then warmed through August and September to bring in healthy fruit over a harvest spread across three weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C and decant an hour ahead. Roast duck, beef short rib, truffled pasta or a washed-rind cheese all suit it. Drinking at its peak now and holding for another five to ten years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château L'Evangile","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476248301951,"sku":"HNW-4246112A","price":185.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4246112A.jpg?v=1789920154"},{"product_id":"2022-sophia-gimblett-gravels-craggy-range","title":"Sophia, Gimblett Gravels, Craggy Range 2022","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSubtle wild thyme and sage woven into plum, fruit cake and brioche rather than sitting on top of them. Medium-bodied, with an enticing suppleness and sweetness of fruit through the middle of the palate and a long, easy finish. Merlot 77%, Cabernet Franc 23%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCraggy Range was established in 1998 by Terry and Mary Peabody, who looked down from Te Mata Peak onto the land the winery now occupies and set out to make wines that evoked the landscape and heritage of the region. It remains family-owned, works estate vineyards in Hawke's Bay, Martinborough and Marlborough, and is certified by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. Sophia comes from the Gimblett Gravels, a district lying on the ancient bed of the Ngaruroro River, which changed course in 1867 and exposed the soils to viticulture: small to medium greywacke stones over layers of silt and sand to a depth of at least forty metres, absorbing sunlight by day and radiating heat at night. It is the warmest site in Hawke's Bay but never excessively hot, so the floral aromatics in the fruit survive. The fruit was hand harvested, meticulously sorted and fully destemmed, fermented in French oak vats set aside for this wine every year, then matured for the most part over seventeen months in French barriques, a third of them new, in an underground cellar chosen for its stillness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBest at 16-18C, with an hour in a decanter. It suits roast lamb, braised beef short rib, duck with cherries and an aged Gouda, and should drink well for five to ten years. Sealed under screwcap. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Craggy Range Winery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476410405247,"sku":"HNW-5469622A","price":74.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5469622A.jpg?v=1789921770"},{"product_id":"2022-chinon-la-perruche","title":"Chinon, La Perruche 2022","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRipe black cherry and wild raspberry with the herbaceous, graphite edge that marks Loire Cabernet Franc. Dry and medium in weight, the tannins fine and supple, the texture velvety rather than grippy. Cabernet Franc 100%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLa Perruche is a Chinon from the heart of the Loire Valley, named after the siliceous stones found in the terroir across the region; a large part of AOC Chinon lies within a UNESCO World Heritage site. The fruit comes from two HVE-certified plots in the central Loire, in the land flanked by the Loire and the Vienne: one on gentle slopes of chalky clay that give concentration and tannic structure, the other on sandy soils facing the river that give fresh, aromatic fruit. Séverine Lepaul makes the wine. The grapes were sorted and carried by conveyor into a small concrete vat for a cool maceration to draw out aroma, colour and fine tannin, then fermented with selected yeasts under temperature control; pump-overs began at the full volume of the vat and tapered to wetting the cap, each one aerated through a small venturi to soften astringency and lift the red fruit. Maturation ran a year in French oak, a fifth of it new, after which the wine was blended, gently filtered and cellared twelve months in bottle before release.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16°C. Try it with roast lamb, charcuterie, duck breast and a fresh goat's cheese. Drink over the next three to five years; an hour in a decanter helps it open. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Perruche","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476412666239,"sku":"HNW-5775022A","price":24.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5775022A.jpg?v=1789921776"},{"product_id":"2024-merlot-cabernet-franc-quercegobbe-toscana-petra","title":"Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Quercegobbe, Toscana, Petra 2024","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWild red fruit and blueberry with a citrus lift, then thyme, rosemary and a balsamic thread of Mediterranean scrub. Dense but agile on the palate, medium-bodied with energetic tannins and a fresh, faintly sanguine finish. Merlot 88%, Cabernet Franc 12%.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePetra was founded by Vittorio Moretti after a 1996 trip to the châteaux of Bordeaux sent him looking for the right ground in Italy; he and his second daughter Francesca settled on the district between Castiglione della Pescaia and Suvereto, in the Maremma among the hills of the Val di Cornia overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, and in 2001 began building the winery designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta into a hillside. This wine comes from the Quercegobbe vineyard at San Lorenzo, where flysch a palombini soils of calcareous clay full of stones and pebbles, along with the blue clay of the Apennines, limit vigour and keep acidity up; the vines were planted in 1998 at 6,200 per hectare, Guyot-trained, with yields kept deliberately low. Parcels were selected precisely, optically sorted, handled as whole berries and macerated for a total of 45 days, then matured 12 months in French oak barriques with 30% new wood and six months in concrete before bottling. In 2024 a mild winter refilled water reserves and a steady spring brought even flowering; a hot, dry summer tempered by cool nights preserved aromatics, early September rain balanced sugar and acidity, and the fruit came in before the later rains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with roast lamb, herb-crusted pork loin, pasta with a tomato and sausage ragù and semi-hard sheep's cheese. Drinking well now and will hold five to ten years; half an hour in a decanter suits it. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Petra","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476538757503,"sku":"HNW-5277624A","price":34.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5277624A.jpg?v=1789923377"},{"product_id":"2019-rosso-toscana-giulia-villa-saletta","title":"Rosso Toscana, Giulia, Villa Saletta 2019","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpice and toasted oak lead the nose, with berry fruit, liquorice and violets behind them. The palate is full and supple, the tannins rounded rather than firm, and the finish turns to ripe red fruit, dark chocolate and tobacco. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eVilla Saletta lies in the hills of Palaia, in the province of Pisa, an estate that has had only four owners in its long history and that had fallen almost entirely to ruin by the time the English Hands family bought it. Restored over the past two decades, it now covers more than 1,400 hectares of woodland, olive groves, vineyards and crops, farmed under agronomist and oenologist David Landini with an emphasis on biodiversity. Giulia comes off the Torrino and Colline vineyards, four hectares of finely textured clay, marine sediment, sandstone and silty marl, Guyot-trained at 5,900 vines to the hectare; the hand-sorted fruit was destemmed and lightly pressed, then fermented partly in new barrels and partly in small stainless-steel tanks at 26°C with three weeks on the skins, before malolactic conversion and 24 months in French oak barrels and a further six months in bottle. The 2019 season began cool and wet, turned hot and dry from June, and closed with cooler nights that brought the ripening back into balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C and give it an hour in a decanter. It suits roast beef, grilled lamb, pappardelle with a meat ragù and aged pecorino. Drink over the next three to five years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Villa Saletta","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476539183487,"sku":"HNW-5223819A","price":58.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5223819A.jpg?v=1789923407"},{"product_id":"2019-rosso-toscana-980-villa-saletta","title":"Rosso Toscana, 980, Villa Saletta 2019","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCocoa and coffee set the tone, with intense red fruit, blackcurrant, violet and black pepper underneath. The palate is elegant and notably fresh, the tannins refined rather than gripping, and the finish long, complex and precise. Cabernet Franc 100%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eVilla Saletta lies in the hills of Palaia, in the province of Pisa, an estate that has had only four owners in its long history and that had fallen almost entirely to ruin by the time the English Hands family bought it. Restored over the past two decades, it now runs to more than 1,400 hectares of woodland, olive groves, vineyards and crops, farmed under agronomist and oenologist David Landini with an emphasis on biodiversity. 980 comes from a single hectare at the top of the Colline cru, in the middle of the property, where blue marl is threaded with veins of yellow sandstone and sand for drainage without drought stress, Guyot-trained at 6,000 vines to the hectare and hand-harvested. The destemmed, sorted fruit was gently pressed and underwent integral fermentation in small new Allier French oak barrels at controlled temperature with selected yeasts, completed malolactic conversion in new French oak, and was then aged over 24 months with 40% new barrels and 30% of second use, followed by a further six months in bottle. The 2019 season began cool and wet, turned hot and dry from June, and closed with cooler nights that brought the ripening back into balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C and decant an hour or two ahead. It suits rib of beef, roast venison, duck with cherries and aged pecorino. Drink over the next five to ten years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Villa Saletta","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476548129151,"sku":"HNW-5223919D","price":140.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5223919D.jpg?v=1789923631"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.edkawines.com\/collections\/cabernet-franc-wine.oembed","provider":"Edka Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}