Raats, Dolomite Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2020

Wow, super good value!' were the first words I wrote on tasting this – and not surprising with Cabernet Franc maestro Bruwer Raats behind it. A 10% addition of Malbec gives lovely plushness and 14 months in oak adds a gentle smoky depth, but the flavours are all Franc: inky blue and blackberries, blood plums, crushed herbs and lingering graphite freshness, all cloaked in supple tannins. Vegan.