Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2002

This wine was a very pleasant and unexpected surprise. It was given to me by my cousin who picked it up in the USA on a connecting flight from Hawaii to London. I had told her that decent California wines are hard to come by here (at least ones that aren't plonk or too expensive), so she thoughtfully picked up this Cabernet Franc.

I was expecting it to resemble other Cabernet Franc wines I've tried, from the Loire Valley or Canada, meaning a fresh, light-bodied wine that might go down slightly chilled in the summer. It was nothing like that however. First of all it's a 2002, and the wine had handled the bottle age extremely well, turning a dark brick-red colour with a smooth, mellow flavour. Second, it is a medium bodied wine with loads of delicious cherry-fruit flavours.

To my delight, Waitrose happens to stock this wine (and the same vintage too!), and its also very affordable, at around £5. I had better get down to my local store and stock up.

Ironstone Vineyards
Cabernet Franc 2002
California, USA
Waitrose
~£5
3.5/5