Hay Shed Hill Block 8 Cabernet Franc 2022 – Margaret River, WA

Cab Franc has long played the cool older cousin to Cabernet Sauvignon. It is less shouty, more nuanced and has better taste in music. And in the deft hands of Michael Kerrigan, the 2022 Hay Shed Hill expression is unshaken by trends or time, offering a poised complexity that lingers without demanding attention. It is deeply satisfying and nowhere near as polite as it pretends to be.

Hay Shed Hill consistently produces excellent wines, and is considered one of the best of the Margaret River region. Grown on the Wilyabrup slopes, this Cab Franc benefits from Margaret River’s maritime embrace of warm days, cool nights and grapes that get just the right amount of stress to grow up interesting. In the glass, it opens with a nose full of raspberry, graphite, dried herbs and if you’re paying attention, a whisper of cigar box and cocoa dust.

This one struts in with confidence, is medium-bodied but it’s got a spring in its step. There’s lift, there’s poise, but don’t be fooled because it’s not here to make friends. The tannins are silky but know how to throw a punch, the acidity is razor sharp and the whole thing fits together like a custom blazer flung over a vintage band tee. The juice hums with dark energy with velvety tannins doing a slow grind while the mid palate is juicy, vibrant and textured. Its elegant and sophisticated but is also something you can wash down a spicy home delivered pizza with on a wintry night and not feel guilty.

Drink it with chargrilled anything. Pork belly, lamb cutlets, roasted eggplant as long as it is smoky and sexy. Or drink it solo on a Tuesday and pretend you’re better than everyone else.

RRP $50

https://hayshedhill.com.au/

WA |2022 | Margaret River | 14%