David Franz Plane Turning Right Red Blend (750mL)

What the Experts Say

(Review is of the 2010 vintage)

Produced from a Basket Ranges vineyard on Blocker’s Road. Fruit is 75% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot. Fruit was vinified apart, set on skins for 30 days, then matured on full lees for 12 months in French oak. The label goes into a lengthy kind of rant about aromatics and the importance in David Franz Lehmann’s wines. Dig those rants. Great picture of aeroplane turning right on the label too – technical.

Pops with bright aromas, floral, pretty and light – there’s some brambly berry fruit, jubey sweetness and violets going on. Really attractive entry. Gliding texture, medium bodied, floral feel with concentrated dark fruit, leather and sarsaparilla spice. Slides way down the back palate and lingers with a gentle sweetness of fruit and milk chocolate tannin. Supple and utterly delicious. Such vibrancy too. Won’t be for those seeking stern boundaries or flying straight with these varieties. Great expression though.

93/100 - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front

Our Notes

PTR for “Plane Turning Right”, which wouldn’t fit our graphic. Gorgeous bottle, with a patent office-inspired diagram printed right onto the glass - check it out at the link below if you’re a Tasting Club member. 

Silky and Merlot-forwards, but with skillful and creative integration of three other varietals, something of a Franz signature, in a dark and aromatic cherry-blackcurrant whirl of luxury backed up with fennel and wood smoke. 

Winemakers Comments

The ‘crafty winesplashery’ part of my life has always had a ‘hunt for yum’ at it’s core. The ‘gluggy lipsmackery’ part of my life has always described the successful results of this quest as ‘yummy’. The ‘cheeky vonbuggery’ part of my life does not give a damn about any hoity toity, lofty raised eyebrows this may cause. Those ‘Right Bank’ Continental Winemakers were definitely onto a group of varietals that work together because my ‘Jocktightometer’ just about broke the needle when I had my first session on this blend. The Aromatic and structural joy of Merlot & Petit Verdot, supported with a good dash of Cabernet Sauvignon & rounded out with the perfume of Malbec. The result is an intertwining muthafunkylicious bottle of just plain YUM!

About the Winery

Led by mad scientist vigneron david Franz (capitalisation, or lack thereof, deliberate) of the well-known Lehman winemaking family, david Franz's approach combines premium Barossa Valley fruit and know-how generations in the making with an experimental and sometimes irreverant approach to blending, production, and presentation.