Purple Palate

If theres one thing that David Franz does almost as well as making wine, its packaging it in such a way as to completely beguile us with every new release. The 'Plane Turning Right' Merlot blend, sourced from Adelaide Hills fruit, is a departure in terms of the liquid, if not the strangeness of the bottle. A lighter, more sour-fruited style than his typical Barossa reds, this has a silky, almost Pinotesque structure, with notes of red apples, cranberry and cassis. Lightly oaked and savoury-middled, there's a tangy sticky-leaf element that wants for food. Something different from Crazy Dave, but sane stuff for sure. -NT