Kelham | 2016 CABERNET FRANC, Oakville | Napa Valley

The 2016 Kelham Cabernet Franc is a truly beautiful wine, tasted in August 2025 at nine years of age and now coming fully into its stride. It shows brilliantly, with pure cassis and subtle red‑currant fruit alongside red‑leaf tobacco, dark loamy earth and masterfully integrated oak spices. The palate is plush, opulent and velvety, with blue‑fruit notes joining the dark cassis and currant character. Firm, mineral‑scented tannins with an ironstone‑like quality provide a sturdy framework, building to a soaring, full‑bodied finish. Enjoy now for its hedonistic, pleasure‑filled character and continue to savour over the next five to eight years. Founded in 1998, Kelham is a family‑run estate specialising in structured, age‑worthy Cabernet‑based wines, designed for a decade of bottle age before release. These are powerful, long‑lived wines that reflect Oakville’s gravelly benchland terroir.