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Wine Details
Price:
$45.00 per bottle
Description:
There are essentially two styles of Cabernet Franc produced: By far the most common is the “Loire” style. Cabernet Franc from the Loire region (and similarly styled California CF) typically feature lighter color, medium body, soft texture, and fresh herb aroma followed by somewhat herbaceous flavor profile. Most are best enjoyed without extended cellaring. Then there is the OnThEdge style… We have always included a percentage of Cab Franc in our Cabernet Sauvignons and JLV’s. Beginning with the 2002 vintage, we will be producing a varietal Cabernet Franc. Of course the fruit is from the esteemed Frediani Vineyard fronting Pickett Road in the forthcoming Calistoga AVA. Those of you who know me find me thrifty with superlatives and will trust me when I say this is a significant wine. Quite simply, if this wine were labeled “Cabernet Sauvignon” instead of “Cabernet Franc” we could double the price and it would sell out immediately. See for yourself and sneak a bottle into your next “big” Cabernet Sauvignon blind tasting. Then, send me the results. Dense-red-black color; young aromas of subdued smoke and cassis lead to bold flavors of fresh-roasted coffee beans, cassis, rich dark chocolate, smoke and ripe cherries which saturate the palette. The long, rugged, ripe finish cries for 5 years in the cellar. If you really must drink it now, decant on Friday for your dinner on Saturday.
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Varietal Definition
Cabernet Franc:
Cabernet Franc is an accessible, spicy, herbal, dark blue grape variety that is often compared to Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc tends to be softer and has less tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon, although the two can be difficult to distinguish. Sometimes the French refer to Cabernets, which could mean either of the two grapes. Its typical aromas include an herbaceous and pronounced peppery nose, even in ripe fruit, and something eerily like tobacco. The Cabernet Franc ripens at an earlier stage, which gives it reason to exist in the Bordeaux area. In the Loire, where we find it a lot, it gives a clear red fresh and fruity wine.
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Cabernet Sauvignon:
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted and significant among the five dominant varieties in France’s Bordeaux region, as well as the most successful red wine produced in California. Though it was thought to be an ancient variety, recent genetic studies at U.C. Davis have determined that Cabernet Sauvignon is actually the hybrid offspring of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon berries are small with black, thick and very tough skin. This toughness makes the grapes fairly resistant to disease and spoilage and able to withstand some autumn rains with little or no damage. It is a mid to late season ripener. These growth characteristics, along with its flavor appeal have made Cabernet Sauvignon one of the most popular red wine varieties worldwide.
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