Featured Wine

     Cabernet Franc is a finicky grape.  Usually, when it's affordable and from California, it smells like green peppers and the winemaker has left in a bunch of sugar to try to disguise the bad elements.  But man oh man, wait 'till you taste this puppy.  It's without a doubt drinking like a $30 Cab Franc with notes of cedar, plum and cinnamon and a medium weight that makes it ideal for this transition into Fall.

From the winemaking team:

"...But in California, our challenge is to balance this vine’s (cab franc)weed-like vigor, for which limiting soil, careful attention to water balance and no tillage cover crop were employed. There is no trace of the dry tannin and green flavors that mar this variety in circumstances of unmanaged canopy and lifeless soil.

This wine will not always show itself in precisely the same manner. Such capacity to reflect and transform its environment is a defining mark of nobility in fine wine. It loves wild mushrooms, and would prefer herb-roasted chicken or grilled veal over beefsteak. Candlelight and music will only accentuate our melancholy when it’s all gone."

     Winemaker Clark Smith (pictured above) is a rather interesting dude. Check out his "Wine Crimes" blog he put up in response to so many wine critics claiming his tactics are taking the soul out of wine.  The issue?  Clark puts science to work in his wines, eschewing what he calls "sterile, correct wines with no personality". Had we not tried the wine first before reading about Clark's philosophy, we may have steered clear. Needless to say, we're really glad we led with our drinking hand on this one.  CLICK HERE for more information on Clark's process.

     From Jamie Goode:

"This is made from two vineyards next to each other. The first has deep alluvial soils and makes Cab Franc that is plummy, sweet and round. The second has serpentine soils which are a bit toxic to vines, which limits canopy vigour, resulting in a mean spirited Cab Franc with tannins. The two wines blended together work well. Lovely aromatic nose of sweet fruit with a leafy, spicy edge to it. The palate is sweet and rich with a lovely intensity and some nice fresh leafy notes, too, together with a hint of vanilla sweetness. Nice spicy structure. Lovely stuff. Very good/excellent 91/100"

     I know we always predict that the wines we feature won't be around long, but this one is a no-brainer.