May 11, 2023 - Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the world’s 20 most planted grape varieties. Cabernet Franc is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon, making a bright pale red wine that contributes finesse and lends a peppery perfume to blends with more robust grapes. Records of Cabernet Franc in France go back to the 17th century.  DNA analysis indicates that Cabernet Franc is one of two parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenere.  In general, Cabernet Franc is very similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but buds and ripens at least a week earlier. This trait allows the vine to thrive in slightly cooler climates than Cabernet Sauvignon.  Please join us to discover how different parts of the world produce different expressions of Cabernet Franc.

2015 Domaine Amirault Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Le Vau Renou

Located in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil in the Loire Valley, Domaine Amirault's Clos des Quarterons is a 92-acre vineyard. The Domaine has been in the Amirault family for six generations and is currently managed by Xavier Amirault and his wife, Agnès. The estate is 100% certified organic by Ecocert and certified biodynamic by Demeter. The biodynamic methods focus on both the environment and the terroir: soil, place, climate, varietal, and the methods of farming. The goal is to achieve a natural balance across the 53 plots of mostly Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc planted at the estate. This thoughtful method of farming is the Domaine’s secret to offering unique and living wines, vintage after vintage.  Produced from biodynamically grown grapes in a walled vineyard, this wine is superbly focused. Its blackberry fruit, layers of tannins and acidity and concentration are all impressive. Rich while still keeping crispness, the wine is likely to age well over the medium-term. Drink from 2020

2019 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Franc

Deep ruby in color with signature aromas of dry spice rack, dry herbs, violets, and unripe berries. Mineral in aroma and flavor, with graphite and dark cocoa powder. Oak and red fruit entangle with the herbs. Concentrated flavors with a full-body and well-balanced tannin structure. The 2019 is very complex but elegant with a velvety, long finish. Ready to drink now, though the extra oak aromas and flavors will benefit from some cellaring making the wine more luscious.

2019 Barrister Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley

Begun by two lawyers passionate about wines, Barrister Winery’s reputation for quality has won them numerous awards including ‘Best of Show’ at the prestigious Los Angeles wines of the world competition as well as consistent 90+ point scores. The 2019 Cabernet Franc is fruit-forward brimming with hints of dark cherries, warm spice and subtle notes of toasted oak. Barrel-aged in American, French and Hungarian oak, this fine example of Cabernet Franc has been described as “berries wrapped in a blanket of toasted oak,” expressing a velvety texture with fine, soft tannins. The flavors of black cherry, blueberry and hints of cocoa are smooth on the palate with an enticing, lingering finish. This wine is designed to enjoy now and for years to come.

2019 Russiz Superiore Cabernet Franc Collio DOC

Russiz Superiore can trace its roots back to 1273, the name stemming from the estate of Russiz Superiore (due to its high location) above the hamlet of Russiz. The working estate hails from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in Northeast Italy, the heart of the Collio wine country on the border of Slovenia. This wine is made from 100% Cabernet Franc, the second most planted red grape variety of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (after Merlot). Its proximity to the Alps and the sea, which send cooling afternoon breezes over the vineyards after a warm sunny day, create the ideal situation for producing complex, well-structured wines that are very age-worthy. The wine is deep ruby-red in color; the nose complex and fruity with vegetal hints; and on the palate some black cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant with some green pepper, rich in flavor with a good balance between freshness and silkiness.

2019 Matthews Reserve Cabernet Franc

The 2019 Matthews Reserve Cabernet Franc was crafted from several small vineyard parcels across four AVAs in Washington State: Columbia Valley, Red Mountain, Royal Slope and Walla Walla Valley. Farmed using sustainable practices, the vines were primarily limited to one cluster per shoot or three clusters per spur to create maximum concentration in each cluster. They were hand-harvested in the early fall mornings of October 2019.

Upon arriving in the winery, each cluster was hand-sorted, berry-sorted, and fermented in either stainless steel (91%) or concrete (9%). The fruit was moved to 100% custom French oak barrels for 25 months of cellaring. The resulting 19 barrels were bottled in December 2021, producing only 467 cases.