American Cabernet Franc: Panel tasting results

From one of the coolest-climate Uco Valley sub-regions, this is produced at Bodega Tapiz’s San Pablo estate high in the Andean foothills at 1,350m. This special microclimate boasts almost twice the average rainfall of greater Mendoza and was awarded its own GI status in 2019. Jean-Claude Berrouet, former winemaker of Château Petrus, consults on the wines. Amanda Barnes: Juicy and floral with lifted notes of violets and sage. Elegant and precise. An appealing, leafier style offering great typicity, showing earthy development with age. Vincenzo Arnese: Elegant and fresh nose with notes of red fruits, cherry and blackcurrant. Ripe and fresh, good structure and integrated tannins. Good finish and length. Ben Gubbins: Graphite and black cherry with cedar and a touch of mint. Floral. A beautiful wine – smooth, round and long.

Guided by the hand of Alberto Antonini, Bodega Garzón has become one of the forerunners of Uruguay’s trend towards increasingly vibrant coastal wines. From the granite-rich soils of the coastal hills of Maldonado, this is produced from a selection of parcels about 18km from the Atlantic. A lo-fi approach in the cellar: fermentation in concrete tanks and ageing in untoasted oak. Amanda Barnes: Violets and black pepper rise with juicy berry fruit. Vibrancy and freshness with a touch of oak spice. Great varietal and regional typicity. Vincenzo Arnese: Elegant, aromatic and fresh. The nose shows crisp raspberry and redcurrant, while the palate is round with well integrated tannins. Great style. Ben Gubbins: Pronounced nose with a faint pepper note alongside intense blue and red fruits. Quite rich on the palate, very smooth, finishing on a leafy note.

More than 600m above the valley floor of Napa, Pride is on the crest of the Mayacamas mountains with volcanic loam soils rich in clay. The 2020 blend boasts more Cabernet Franc than previous vintages, with just 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot. Unfortunately, production in 2020 was extremely limited, with only 25% of the crop picked before wildfires spread through the region at the end of September. Amanda Barnes: Intense ripe berries on the nose echo on the palate. Juicy, bright fruit and a slightly chalky texture. More leafiness would be good, but a luxurious wine. Vincenzo Arnese: Great intensity and ripeness on the nose. Nice development with good structure and body. Ben Gubbins: Oak spice. A complex nose of blueberry, blackcurrant, cherry, tobacco, green pepper. Good structure with ripe tannins. Good concentration.

One of Canada’s leaders in biodynamic viticulture, Southbrook has been a pioneer of sustainable initiatives in Niagara since its foundation in 2005. Its sustainable approach encompasses both vineyard and winery, with biodynamic, organic and LEED Gold certification all having been attained. The organic grapes for this wine are from the Niagara Escarpment, and fermentation takes place in oak vats before ageing in barrels. Amanda Barnes: Dense, almost liquored black fruit. Open on the nose with hints of balsamic herbs and lifted florals. Smooth and supple palate. Easy to drink with a floral elegance and lift. Vincenzo Arnese: Fresh and fruity with notes of roses and lilac, raspberry and cherry, sweet spice. Smooth and round with good freshness. Tannins integrated yet present. Ben Gubbins: Quite spicy on the nose with wood, forest floor, raspberry and cherry. Ripe and generous, smooth with sour cherry over riper red fruit, vegetal notes and spice. Good length, too.

One of the first estate wineries in high-altitude Gualtallary, Zorzal has been instrumental in putting this increasingly renowned wine region on the map. This comes from a plot with a particularly high proportion of calcareous material in the soil. Vinified with native yeasts in concrete tanks and 20% whole bunches, the wine is further aged in concrete, embodying Zorzal’s largely unoaked approach to premium wines. Amanda Barnes: A smoky, mineral character runs as an undertone to black pepper and oak spice. On the palate the floral character comes through, while supple tannins keep the finish elegant. Vincenzo Arnese: Flavours of dark chocolate, coffee and tobacco with a good texture and ripe tannins. Has a nice, vibrant palate with good body and a long finish. Ben Gubbins: Alluring peppery nose with graphite, tobacco, cedar, violets and blue fruits following on the palate. Lively, if a hint of warmth, with a peppery finish.

Expressive and peppery, earthy, dry tobacco leaf, savoury, smoky on the nose. Cardamom and clove spice add intrigue to this inky and full-bodied wine, while the oak still leads in its relative youth, there is good fruit concentration and this wine will evolve nicely.

Blackberry with peppery aromas. Dark cherry, blueberry, and grippy green fruit on the palate with integrated tannins and delicious, leafy freshness on the finish. Delicious and complex.

Lively peppery nose, tobacco, cedar, raspberry. Smoked spices, black tea and chalk give a savoury style to this bold wine. Fine-grained tannins, ripe red and blue fruit and a medium finish. Appealing varietal character with a vibrant finish.

Spicy and peppery with notes of wildflowers on the nose. Tobacco leaf, with very expressive herbal flavours on the palate. Round, smooth and vibrant, with some sour fruit notes, good structure and well-integrated tannins. Vibrant and intense through to the finish.

Spice, red fruit and tobacco leaf on the nose. Ripe plum and blackcurrant flavours with rich oak, good length and a bight classy, finish. Lively and bright.

Floral, aromatic, vibrant notes of tobacco and pepper. The fruit shines on through the finish. Well balanced and harmonious. Great brightness and freshness to the finish. Lively and really enjoyable.

Wildflowers, violets, and rose hips with a lovely expression of pepper spice. The palate is vibrant with good fruit concentration and fine tannins. Lingering ripeness on the finish.

Dark and brooding fruit on the nose with toasty, sweet spice. The palate is full of the spiciness that is true to . A wine of both power but also silky, fine texture. Warm and big on the long finish.

Inviting, elegant nose with pepper spice and red fruit.Good varietal definition. Tobacco and oak spices with red and black fruits on the palate. Expressive and beautifully balanced. The fruit is at a lovely point of ripeness keeping a lifted edge. Dusty finesse on the finish.

Blue fruit and floral lift on the nose. Juniper and blueberry tart, with a floral, peppery, and delightfully smooth, round palate with vibrancy and poise. The wine shows good aromatic and intensity.

Tobacco leaf, graphite, raspberry, blueberry. Medium-bodied, warm and smooth, with plenty of ripe red fruit and an undertone of spice that lifts the finish. Nicely made, and enjoyable classic style.

Smoky spice and earthy graphite with cassis and hints of pomegranate on the nose. A light, elegant, delicate style with some oak spice, red fruits and a gentle leafy note. Chalky fine-grained tannins with lively red fruit, and a peppery, gradual finish.

A complex nose with floral nuances, tobacco, with forest fruit and freshly cracked black pepper. Slightly chalky tannins aid the structure of this wine of great ageing potential. Compact in its youth, but with good potential.

Candied nose, shows an elegant uplift, roses and geranium. Pronounced, Maqui berry, wet stones, and bell pepper. The palate brings in leafiness and blueberry fruit, fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity. Clean and ripe.

Pronounced, wet stones, ripe red fruits, pepper, capsicum. Fresh jalapeño and black fruit with a concentrated balance of grippy tannin and enjoyable fruit.

A sophisticated balance of dense, ripe fruit core with black pepper and exotic spices. Good freshness, firm structure with youthful, but complex fruit. A compact wine, but one that will age well. Concentrated and silky.

Pronounced note of crushed black pepper, stewed red fruits, graphite, and tobacco. Lively red fruits and berries on the palate with velvety tannins. Round and full with good length and a spicy savoury finish.

Alluring nose of ripe red and blue fruit, and tobacco leaves, with a hint of oak on the nose. The palate is smooth, and the fruit is lovely with pinpointed ripeness. Warm, but there is plenty of fruit to balance the peppery finish. Long and spicy on the finish.

A luxurious nose of leather, tobacco, blackcurrant, jammy fruit, meat and tobacco. The palate is crisp with full, round, smooth, velvety, and charred wood notes. The wine is rich with a long and well-developed finish.

Expressive nose with red fruit and black pepper spice. A generous, pleasant wine with a mix of spice, red and black fruits, savoury notes and a medium finish with a leafy note on the finish. A lovely wine for the price point with good freshness.

Toasty and meaty, with black pepper and herbaceous aromas. Vibrant red fruit with good intensity. Pleasant and balanced with great freshness through to the finish.

A ripe nose, elegant with fresh peppery notes. Good varietal character, quite leafy, with pungent spice and cedar on the pallet. Firm tannins, smoky charcoal notes and fresh, fruit-forward finish.

Intense nose of brambly and blueberry fruit, with notes of blackcurrant leaves and sweet spice. Tobacco, bell pepper, pepper and blue fruit on the palate. Great energy and varietal typicity in this juicy pour.

Intense and smoky, with evidence of juniper and blackcurrant, dry herbs and tomato leaves on the nose. Crunchy fruit lifts the palate while peppery tannins play out with just a touch of warmth and ripe raspberry on the finish.

Intense sweet spice, floral violet notes and blueberry, bramble fruit on the nose. A ripe plum fruit core with chalky tannins, good freshness with hints of dark chocolate on the finish. A wine of power and character, impressive for the price.

A slowly evolving nose with subtle layers of forest floor, wild mint and vanilla pod muddled with bramble fruit, blackcurrant and tomato leaf. Fresh with good intensity, integrated oak and sweet spice. An engaging wine with delicious balance, freshness and silky texture.

Classy and classic nose with juniper, blueberry and coriander seed. Savoury, meat, graphite, red cherry, toast and charcoal with good complexity and, a bit of warming alcohol on the finish. A vibrantly rich wine.

Wildflowers and chocolate mint aromas. The palate is laden with violets, blueberries and warm spice. Bramble fruits on the palate with intense ripeness and a juicy, balanced finish.

Rich and bold, intense ripe dark cherry, plum and blackcurrant on the nose. Crushed raspberries with a juicy and lively mouthfeel that finishes on a fresh note of spearmint. Delightful!

Intense and rich with a barnyard-like nose. Cedar, pepper, tobacco leaf, and a touch of leather. A savoury, smoky profile, showing some development. Layers of spices, mountain herbs and ripe forest fruit with a silky but vibrant finish.

Grilled pepper and smoked meat notes make for a savoury wine. There is good ripeness of blueberry and raspberry, a crisp, pleasing palate with supple texture to the tannins. A structured wine with a pleasingly full body.