About The Wine
Cabernet Franc is stepping out of the shadows. Some of the country's most exciting Bordeaux styled wines are being made from this grape, and to be perfectly franc, we are loving it!
The third release of a Blue Poles Reserve Cabernet Franc is excellent. This is a wine of precision and startling refinement, clearly a leading Australian example of the charming variety.
The devout Blue Poles members have snapped up most of it so these are some of the last remaining bottles in the country. As Gary Walsh observed in his 93+ point review, "It’s a hard act to get a straight Cab Franc going, but when it’s good, it’s often very good." If you are loving the Franc Revolution, you really need to try this wine, at least once.
About Blue Poles
Blue Poles is the combined venture of Mark Gifford and Tim Markwell - a pair of experienced geologists who have in the last decade or so created one of the undoubted 'cult hero' labels of Margaret River.
The vast majority of the Blue Poles range is produced from a single block in the Wallcliff sub-region of Margaret River. While Merlot and Cabernet Franc dominate the plantings, other rarely seen varieties for the region also find a home including Fiano, Teroldego and Marsanne.
Their red wines are extraordinary, not only for their old world charm and quality but the outrageous value they deliver. There are only ever tiny volumes and these wines are scarcely available outside the Blue Poles mailing list.
Margaret River, WA
From The Producer
Known as a Bordeaux variety, and grown predominantly in Saint Emilion with small percentages in the Medoc, it is also grown in the Loire Valley where it is the sole red grape. This grape variety has been only a minor variety planted in Australia due to the success of Cabernet Sauvignon and the supposed “hardness” of this variety when made singularly. It is a variety that grows well in the clay rich sections of Bordeaux and underlying the gravels in the southern section of our vineyard is deep kaolin clays that provide perfect support to this variety.
One hectare was planted adjacent to the Merlot, so it too has first use of the southerly sea breeze in summer, keeping the vines cooler and extending the growing season. Cabernet Franc is a very strong growing vine in Margaret River, and with small tough skinned berries the vine is less affected by diseases and mildew pressures than other varieties.
Blend : Cabernet Franc (100%)
ABV : 13.80%
Closure : Screw cap
Drink Until : 2028
Bottle Size : 750ml
Critic Reviews
"Red and blackcurrant, slight prune note, mint, pencils and spice. Medium-bodied, grip and grainy tannin, slightly nippy acidity, attractive perfume of dried herbs on a long insistently tannic finish. Needs a couple of years to settle, I feel, but potential here." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
Delivery is Free for any order over $149 or more, or just $10 for any orders of $149 or less. There is no minimum order quantity and you can mix and match as much as you like. Make your perfect mixed pack!
Sydney Metro orders will be delivered the next day 5 days per week, Monday through Friday. We can guarantee delivery before Christmas as long as you get your order in by midnight 23rd of December. Please refer to this map to see if your address is considered Sydney Metro here.
Melbourne Metro orders are picked up from our Sydney warehouse every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and delivered the following day in Melbourne (Tues/Wed/Fri). We can guarantee delivery before Christmas as long as you get your order in by 10am 22nd of December. Please refer to this map to see if your address is considered Melbourne Metro here.
Brisbane Metro orders are picked up from our Sydney warehouse every Wednesday and delivered the following day in Brisbane (Thursday or Friday). We can guarantee delivery before Christmas as long as you get your order in by 10am 22nd of December. Please refer to this map to see if your address is considered Brisbane Metro here.
Australia Wide Deliveries outside of Sydney and Melbourne metro are all delivered with Australia Post's eParcel wine delivery service. They pick up from us at 12pm Monday through Friday. When your order has been dispatched you'll receive tracking information to your email. Unfortunately with the complications of Covid and expected Christmas surge Australia Post are being extremely vague about delivery times. You will need to have your order placed before midnight 10th of December if you want to ensure it’s there for Christmas.
Authority to Leave and other delivery instructions can be left in the ‘SPECIAL REQUESTS’ box during checkout. The 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box can be found on the here page before the final checkout page.
Warehouse Pickup is available at our Sydney warehouse at 3 Fig, Ultimo, 2007. You are not able to browse our warehouse shelves and we are not licenced to sell over the counter, so please place your order online or over the phone before arriving. Feel free to call on arrival on 1300 668 385 and we can bring your order out to your vehicle.
Express Same Day Delivery is available for Sydney postcodes within 10km of the CBD. There is a $10 delivery surcharge and the order needs to be placed before 12pm midday.
Our Heat Policy can be viewed here. If you would like us to hold dispatch of your order for milder weather please leave instructions to do so in the 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box found on the cart page before the final checkout. We are happy to hold it for as long as you like. All orders are fully insured so you can buy with full confidence that these tasty beverages will get to you in tip-top shape.
Returns are free for 100 days after purchase. You can view the conditions of our return policy here
For any other shipping related inquiries, please see our helpful FAQ, email us at hello@differentdrop.com or call us on 1300 668 385..
Do I have to order in dozens? No, please mix it up! You can order wines in any quantity and variation you like. You can order 1 bottle or 50. We challenge you to make the ultimate mixed pack of wine!
Are there volume discounts? No, our pricing is designed to be the best in market already - no marking up and then discounting down! For very large orders (weddings, etc) we are open to negotiating though. Just give us a call.
Do we price match? Yes, within reason. Everyday low & consistent pricing is something we strongly believe in. We want our customers to feel confident they are always getting the best price. If you see a price lower somewhere else let us know and we'll consider matching it. We'll even retrospectively issue you store credit if you have already purchased from us but you see a lower price somewhere later on. Our price match policy can be seen here.
Can coupons and discounts be stacked? No, only one discount or coupon can be applied to an order at once.
I am trying to add more of a wine to my cart but it won’t let me? This means we are running low on stock of that wine. So for example, if the website will only allow you to add 3 bottles and no more, then that is all we have of that particular wine. The good news is we may be able to order more for you. Just contact us on 1300 668 385 or hello@differentdrop.com and we'll organise the additional quantity for you.
Does Different Drop have a physical store? No. More of a warehouse/office. We do however offer a Click & Collect option from our warehouse in Ultimo, Sydney. Our warehouse address for Click & Collect is: 3 Fig St, Ultimo, 2007/ Please make sure you have placed your order before arriving at the warehouse
Can I special order a wine you do not sell? If it’s doable, then we’ll make it happen. Just contact us directly via phone, chat or email and we’ll find out for you right away. Please note that in most cases special orders such as these will need to be in full case lots (6 or 12 bottles).
More FaQs: here
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