2025 Gertie Cabernet Franc | 95 Points Halliday| Clare Valley

🏆 95 Points | One of Australia's Most Exciting Small-Production Cabernet Francs

From Gertie Wines – The Remarkable Clare Valley Project of Winemaker Ben Marx

95 Points – Halliday Wine Companion (2025 Vintage)

Previous Vintage: 95 Points – The Wine Front | 2025 Not Yet Reviewed

2025 Gertie Cabernet Franc

Clare Valley, South Australia

95 Points – Halliday Wine Companion

RRP $35

There are wines you buy because you recognise the name.

And then there are wines you buy because someone introduces you to something extraordinary.

Gertie Cabernet Franc belongs firmly in the second category.

This is one of those small-production Australian wines that deserves far more attention than it receives.

Made by Ben Marx, an exceptionally talented Clare Valley winemaker whose career includes Knappstein and Jim Barry Wines, Gertie is his personal project.

No enormous marketing budget.

No grand cellar door.

No industrial-scale production.

Just a winemaker with a genuine passion for Cabernet Franc, sourcing exceptional fruit and making the sort of wine he loves to drink.

And the results speak for themselves.

95 POINTS – HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION

The previous vintage also received:

95 POINTS – GARY WALSH, THE WINE FRONT

The 2025 vintage has not yet been reviewed by The Wine Front.

This is seriously exciting Clare Valley Cabernet Franc.

Tasting Notes – Perfume, Freshness and Beautifully Fine Tannins

Forget the idea that all great Cabernet needs to be big, dark and heavily structured.

Cabernet Franc can be something completely different.

And Gertie is a wonderful example.

The 2025 offers a beautifully aromatic, medium-bodied style with an irresistible combination of fruit, flowers and savoury complexity.

Expect:

• Redcurrant and blackcurrant

• Fresh raspberry

• Red cherry

• Rose petals and rosehip

• Rosemary and wild herbs

• Exotic spice

• Earl Grey tea

• Subtle liquorice

• Fine, silty tannins

The aromatics are immediately captivating.

Fresh red and black berries meet roses, herbs and gentle spice.

The palate is wonderfully vibrant.

Juicy. Fragrant. Fresh. Textural.

There's lovely fruit concentration, but nothing feels heavy.

A subtle sappy character gives the wine an appealing savoury edge, while fine tannins provide just enough grip.

And the finish?

Fresh, perfumed and incredibly inviting.

This is Cabernet Franc that makes you want another glass.

Ben Marx – The Winemaker Behind Gertie

One of the most compelling things about this wine is the man who makes it.

Ben Marx has spent much of his professional career working in the Clare Valley.

His experience includes Knappstein and Jim Barry Wines, two important names in South Australian wine.

But Gertie is something different.

It's his own project.

His opportunity to make wine according to his own tastes, without the constraints of a larger commercial portfolio.

And the philosophy is wonderfully straightforward.

Make delicious wine that people genuinely want to drink.

Not wine designed to impress with enormous alcohol.

Not wine buried beneath expensive oak.

Not wine manipulated to fit a particular formula.

Just beautiful fruit, thoughtful winemaking and an emphasis on drinkability.

That's Gertie.

Why Cabernet Franc?

This is where things become particularly interesting.

Cabernet Franc is one of the great red grape varieties of the world.

It's an important component of the finest Bordeaux blends and produces exceptional single-varietal wines in the Loire Valley.

Think of the great Cabernet Francs from:

Chinon

Bourgueil

Saumur-Champigny

and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil.

At its finest, Cabernet Franc combines the aromatic elegance of Pinot Noir with the structure and savoury complexity of Cabernet Sauvignon.

You can get:

Roses.

Raspberries.

Redcurrants.

Fresh herbs.

Spice.

Fine tannins.

And an extraordinary sense of freshness.

But in Australia, Cabernet Franc remains relatively uncommon as a standalone wine.

Which makes producers like Gertie so important.

They're demonstrating just how exciting this variety can be in the right hands.

Clare Valley – More Than Riesling and Shiraz

Most people associate Clare Valley with two things.

Riesling.

And:

Shiraz.

And understandably so.

The region produces some of Australia's greatest examples of both.

But Clare Valley also has tremendous potential for varieties that thrive in its distinctive combination of warm days, cool nights and elevated vineyard sites.

Cabernet Franc is one of them.

The variety can develop beautiful flavour concentration while retaining the acidity and perfume that make it so attractive.

And when handled gently, it can produce wines of remarkable elegance and drinkability.

The 2025 Gertie is a wonderful example of that potential.

Small Production – And That's Important

Gertie is not a large commercial wine brand.

The wines come from carefully selected Clare Valley vineyard parcels, and production is deliberately limited.

Ben has built a loyal following among wine drinkers who appreciate distinctive, small-batch wines.

The winery even operates its own allocation system, known as the Gertie Gallon, allowing customers to secure limited quantities of its releases.

This isn't the sort of wine you'll necessarily find in every bottle shop.

And that's part of its appeal.

Winemaking – Minimal Intervention, Maximum Character

The philosophy behind Gertie Cabernet Franc is particularly appealing.

For the 2025 release, Ben incorporated approximately 3.5% whole bunches into the fermentation.

That may sound like a small percentage.

But even a modest amount of whole bunch can contribute aromatic complexity, savoury detail and additional texture.

He also allowed the wine to spend approximately four weeks on skins after fermentation.

The purpose?

To build structure and depth without sacrificing the variety's natural perfume and freshness.

The wine is made with minimal additions, with a small amount of sulphur added before bottling.

It is bottled:

Unfined.

Unfiltered.

This preserves the wine's natural texture and character.

And it means the wine may not be perfectly crystal clear.

That's entirely intentional.

95 Points – Halliday Wine Companion

The 2025 Gertie Cabernet Franc has received an outstanding:

95 POINTS

from Halliday Wine Companion.

That's a tremendous endorsement for a small-production wine from an independent Clare Valley winemaker.

And it's particularly exciting because Cabernet Franc is still finding its place among Australia's most celebrated red varieties.

Previous Vintage – 95 Points from The Wine Front

Gary Walsh at The Wine Front awarded a previous vintage of Gertie Cabernet Franc:

A Cabernet Franc for Pinot Noir Lovers

Here's something I'd particularly emphasise.

If you love:

Pinot Noir

Gamay

Frappato

Schiava

or the lighter, more aromatic styles of Nebbiolo,

you should absolutely try Gertie Cabernet Franc.

It has that same wonderful combination of perfume, freshness and fine tannin.

But with its own distinctive Cabernet Franc personality.

There's something incredibly appealing about a red wine that offers complexity without enormous weight.

And that's exactly what makes Gertie so enjoyable.

Serve It Slightly Chilled

This is not a wine that needs to be served warm.

In fact, I'd strongly recommend serving it slightly cool.

Around 14–16°C.

Give it 15–20 minutes in the fridge before opening, depending on room temperature.

The red fruit and floral aromatics become beautifully expressive, while the acidity and fine tannins make the wine even more refreshing.

This is a sensational red for spring and summer.

Food Pairings

Cabernet Franc is one of the great food-friendly red varieties.

Try Gertie with:

• Roast chicken

• Duck breast

• Pork tenderloin

• Lamb cutlets

• Mushroom risotto

• Charcuterie

• Prosciutto

• Grilled vegetables

• Tomato-based pasta

• Goat's cheese

• Gruyère

• Comté

Personally, I'd love this with roast chicken, mushrooms and fresh herbs.

The wine's floral perfume, savoury complexity and beautiful acidity would make a magnificent combination.

Cellaring Potential

The 2025 Gertie Cabernet Franc is made to be enjoyed for its vibrant fruit, perfume and freshness.

But its tannin structure and natural acidity should also support some bottle development.

Suggested drinking window: 2026–2031.

I'd personally enjoy most bottles over the next three to five years while the fruit is beautifully expressive.

Although putting a couple away to see how the wine develops would be fascinating.

Why We Love It

Because this is exactly the kind of wine that makes discovering small Australian producers so rewarding.

An outstanding winemaker.

A personal passion project.

A relatively uncommon grape variety.

Small production.

Minimal-intervention winemaking.

Beautiful perfume.

Fine tannins.

And an outstanding Halliday score.

Look at what you're getting:

2025 Vintage

Clare Valley, South Australia

Made by Ben Marx

Small-Production Cabernet Franc

3.5% Whole-Bunch Fermentation

Extended Skin Contact

Minimal Additions

Unfined and Unfiltered

95 Points – Halliday Wine Companion

Previous Vintage: 95 Points – The Wine Front

And:

RRP $38

This is the sort of wine we love at Liquid Vibe.

Something different.

Something distinctive.

Something made with genuine passion.

And most importantly:

Something absolutely delicious.

2025 GERTIE CABERNET FRANC

Clare Valley, South Australia

95 POINTS – HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION

RRP $38

Redcurrant. Raspberry. Roses. Rosemary. Exotic spice. Fine tannins. Beautiful freshness.

ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING SMALL-PRODUCTION CABERNET FRANCS COMING OUT OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

If you love aromatic, beautifully balanced reds with genuine personality, don't miss this remarkable little wine from Ben Marx.