Phantom Creek Estates Kobau Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2022, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia BC V.Q.A., Canada: This bold Phantom Creek Cabernet Franc is exactly like that little black dress that makes you feel like you can conquer anything. It is classic, powerful, and always appropriate. A premium BC wine, it showcases the absolute best of Okanagan Valley winemaking. Their commitment to quality means you get concentrated dark fruit flavours, beautifully structured tannins, and the kind of complexity that rewards slow, thoughtful savoring on long winter nights. The wine offers bold character and full body, delivering layers of blackberry, dark cherry, licorice, and cedar. Velvety tannins coat your palate without overwhelming it, achieving the perfect balance between power and elegance. Its depth and intensity make it an ideal companion for fireside gatherings, whether you are hosting friends or enjoying quiet solo moments of reflection. At $72, it is worth the splurge, tasting like it is twice that price, perfect for giving an extra-special bottle or treating yourself this season. Supporting Canadian wineries during winter also means you are enjoying wines made to complement the seasons you experience, not a Mediterranean climate halfway around the world. These particular grapes have earned their stripes. Phantom Creek survived a devastating frost last year that would have made lesser vineyards pack it in. But this is the True North, where we do not quit just because nature tried to cancel us. These vines looked at minus twenty and said, “Is that all you have got?” And that, my friends, is what makes us Canadian. Drink: 2025-2028. 14.80% D 750 mL  $72.00 Score: 96/100. December 14, 2025 Full Review