2022 Stratus Cabernet Franc Rosé

Hinting at red currant, strawberry pie crust, ash, sweet cherry blossom, and red bell pepper with a hint of basil leaf too. Fuller bodied on the palate with lovely silkiness and rounder acidity. This rosé behaves like a red from the standpoint of power and depth. An appealing pink salt minerality comes through making it all the more intriguing. Once again, dry and textured with none of the overt berry flavours but still the fleshy ripeness. A wonderful match with salty soft cheeses, grilled shrimp with chilies, smoky red pepper stuffed with goat cheese, watermelon and feta salad, or poached fish with sundried tomato oil.

By all accounts, the quality of grapes in 2022 was exceptional across the board. Unfortunately, the 2022 crop was small, producing on average, just 50% of the yield of previous years.

The new year got off to a very cold start, with extreme cold temperatures throughout January and into February, the weather was variable with big swings in temperature, from unseasonably warm, to cooler than average. March gave a preview of spring, with warm weather and some melting, only to have winter re-emerge for a second act. April continued the theme, with colder than usual temperatures. Summer was relatively warm and dry, with a few storms bringing a lot of rain all at once, but the weather was otherwise agreeable for grape growing. 2022 wines will be highly sought-after for both their quality and scarcity.