I opened a bottle of 2001 Cabernet Franc this weekend. It was made from
fresh grapes, bulk aged for 2 years and oaked moderately heavily. The wine
had lost all of it's fruitiness as one should expected. I had tried it some
time ago and it was not that good. (going through the period between fruity
and complex) but it is improving again. Cab. Franc is not my favorite and I
usually use it for blending but this was bottled straight.

The interesting observation that may be of use to others was that it was
bottled under a nomacorc synthetic cork. There was no sign of movement of
wine up the sides of the cork and only a trace of red staining on the end of
the cork. There was no hint of oxidation in the wine. I would say the wine
was well protected for the last 4 year by the synthetic.

Ray