Wine Companion 2017
Whalebone Vineyard Merlot Cabernet Franc 2012
66/34%, matured for 21 months in French oak (70% new). Spent close on 3 years making its way into bottle, an especially long time for a blend such as this, but it clearly needed it; there is a complex interplay between rich blackcurrant, cedar, cigar box and dried herbs, and a persistent tattoo of fine-grained tannins on the very long paplte. Cork.
Rating 96
To 2037Whalebone Vineyard Cabernet Shiraz 2013
85/15%. The first thing you notice is the liveliness of it; the second is the easygoing complexity; the third is the long chains of tannin. Tobacco and earth run through boysenberry and blackcurrant; smoky oak plays a subtle role. Cork.
Rating 96
To 2030Whalebone Vineyard Merlot Cabernet Franc 2012