2011 The Journeyman

(two barriques of Cabernet Franc and one of Cabernet Sauvignon; hand-destemmed, with the berries going directly into barrel for a long maceration on their skins; never pumped): Intense dark fruit aromas of blueberry, blackberry, boysenberry and violet, along with a penetrating oakiness. Dense, savory and deep, offering outstanding intensity and depth to its sweet berry fruit flavors. Shows little of the green element of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Finishes pure and very long, with superb energy and suave tannins.

Just three barrels made. Two of Cabernet Franc and one of Cabernet Sauvignon. Extremely heavy bottle. Very dark crimson. Spicy red bordeaux nose with a hint of pyrazines (ie herbaceous). Mellow but fresh and complex. Real juiciness here. Medium bodied but dense and well judged. (JR)

The 2011 The Journeyman is a blend of 67% Cabernet Franc and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, the fruit sourced from the estate, fully destemmed then fermented in oak barriques, finally aged for 26 months in oak barriques. The nose is very refined and poised with blackberry, briar notes, allspice and touches of cedar and bell pepper – capturing the essence of Cabernet Franc with panache. The palate is medium-bodied, very well-balanced with crisp acidity. Fine symmetry here, very elegant with touches of dark chocolate smoothing out the refined finish. Just three barrels produced and not a single bottle sold – they are given away by Mark Kent or dropped into mixed cases.