TONON | Venezia | Cabernet Franc | 2019
cabernet franc

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Today we are going to review a single-varietal cabernet franc wine from Venezia DOC in northern Italy, namely from Friuli-Venezia-Giulia wine region – Venezia Cabernet Franc 2019 by Vini Tonon. The ‘other cabernet’ grape, cabernet franc is the parent grape for the two famous international varieties: cabernet sauvignon and merlot. It is less intense and softer than cabernet sauvignon and it ripens much earlier, while it is also much more resistant to winter cold and frost than merlot. One thing that makes cabernet franc unique is that it can’t hide its nature – it has always been a bit more peppery, more savory and leaner than its pedigree children, due to the higher levels of pyrazines inherited by the variety. But enough theory, that said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & gamey
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: red plum | red currant | sour cherry
__black fruits: black cherry | blackberry
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | savory | other
__spice: red pepper | black pepper
__savory: iron | capocollo | game | veal | musk | barnyard | leather | venison
__earthy: soil dust
__other: brettanomyces | soil dust | brown olive | hints of tobacco
primary layer: gamey-savory

//Palate
sweetness: off dry
acidity: high
alcohol: medium-
tannin: medium+
__grip: fine
balance: good
__dominant: acidity & residual sugar
body: supple & lean | medium-

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits & black fruits
fruit character: ripe & overripe
non fruit: spice & savory
finish: medium
aftertaste: crisp & sweet

//Scoring
TONON | Venezia | Cabernet Franc | 2019
variety: cabernet franc
country: Italy
region: Venezia
rating: 91.9

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for up to 2 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Italy and, with a total of 91.9 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a very supple and delicate cabernet franc wine: round, savory and rustic – a wine that is still developing, yet one that is not too far away from the peak of its form, therefore we would recommend to drink it within the next 2 years. It feels lean, rich and expressive, exuberant acidity, fine-grained tannins and just a touch of alcoholic warmth and some hints of residual sugar showing through on the mouthfeel – this is a real crowd-pleaser. On the nose the wine delivers a very nuanced savory-gamey accent, mixed with ripe and overripe red fruits in the foreground, supported by a quite spicy background. All in all, this is a very appealing cabernet franc wine that can be enjoyed without too much fuss and, at the same time, a wine that lacks some finesse and complexity on the palate, as those residual sugar leftovers create a slightly off-putting impression of a very simple, supermarket wine, which is a bit unfair towards this wine.

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