Reviews

Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Matarocchio

Tobacco and dusty dark red berries dominate, with a fine(ish) grained texture that provides body and movement on the palate. There is a rusticity here, but it doesn't distract too much from the…

Arrow & Branch Cabernet Franc Heritage Reserve Block 1 Arrow & Branch Coombsville

As with many young 2018s from Napa, there is a sultry demeanor with the Arrow & Branch Cabernet Franc Block 1 (older vines than Block 2) that immediately shows alluring finesse. Its profile is also…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Coming off a bit heavy handed and blown out for the first hour or so, this bottle needed significant air to start coming into form. Ripe red and purple berry and plum are washed with spice and…

Kenzo Estate Cabernet Franc Asuka

Big fruit. Big power. Big Big. The drive on this puppy is super intense and concentrated, with a dump truck-load of blackberry and black cherry fruit that lap around the palate multiple times before…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Still a hotbox of massive fruit and booze. The berry fruit is unctuous, powerful, and unfurled. The flex on this is all iron fist right now, laying a beat down to the palate; after a few sips it was…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Force de la Nature

Hot and ripe on the first pop, but then it gets right into a nice stride, inviting another sip (and another bite of food). Plump black cherry, black and red currant, red and black licorice, and…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Prepare for straight-up heat and sweet if opening now. In a very awkward place at the moment. Standby to standby for a while; keep this cobbler cocktail horizontal. Signs of promise, but not until…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Force de la Nature

Somewhat similar to my experience with this wine from 2.5 years ago (June 2, 2018), though perhaps more relaxed and accessible at this juncture in terms of front-end approachability. Earth, spice,…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Force de la Nature

From Oakville, this sample was opened yesterday (which seemed to show a little bit of its evolution in terms of frame over flavor at this point). Nevertheless, red and black cherry fruit show good…

Arrow & Branch Cabernet Franc Heritage Reserve Arrow & Branch Coombsville

More serious and firm that the 2015 CF Heritage served beside it, this 2016 has more dark power and grip than its older brother. Black fruit and some burnt embers make up the primary core, with small…

Arrow & Branch Cabernet Franc Heritage Reserve Arrow & Branch Coombsville

More plush and fruity when compared to the 2016 CF Heritage served alongside it, the 2015 impresses for its opulent red berry fruit and floral flavor. Round and plush red raspberry, red and black…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

A near perfect example of Cab Franc; a much more resolved and less crunchy demeanor than last year's bottle. Notes of blackberry, black cherry, black plum skin, Christmas spice, and violets. Less of…

Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Franc

Black and red cherry, red plum, coffee grounds, cedar, and some bark. A surprising amount of balled-up energy and tension here, indicating even more time in bottle will allow for the flavors to…

Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Clos Sénéchal

100% Cabernet Franc. At first sip this came off fast and furious with incredibly tart and acidic cranberry and pomegranate juice notes. Fiercely palate-clenching, with aggressive acid and a cutthroat…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Black cherry, cassis, red and black raspberry, vanilla bean, baking spices, and a huge bouquet of violets thrown in your face with the force of an ex-wife with a restraining order.

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Finished the bottle. Good purity of fruit. Really nice herbaceous black cherry and spicy cassis. Even better in a couple of years. Hold until 2020.

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Coravin pour with exotic notes of wild black cherry, red and black currant, crunchy cassis, deep kirsch, dark dried cranberry, Herbes de Provence, and violets. A beguiling wine that kept me coming…

Hourglass Cabernet Franc Blueline

Black cherry, black raspberry, alcohol, vanilla liqueur, unripe purple plum, and some red/black currant. Vivacious and higher register than the Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wines. Needs time. 93+…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Force de la Nature

Compared/served directly next to a 2008 and a 2012 Morlet Coeur de Vallee. This Force de la Nature had some notable precision (especially when distinguished from the Morlet Coeur de Vallee wines,…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Previous notes apply. An alliterative fun, flavorful, fascinating, and focused phenom. A lot going on here that could still use another year or so to elevate even further. The black cherry and cassis…

Relic Wines The Prior

Notes of black and red cherry, barely ripe purple plum, vanilla alcohol, cassis, and some stone. An ok representation of the CF varietal, but somewhat pedestrian for my palate; lacking layers and…

Pott Wine Cabernet Franc La Carte et Le Territoire

A fascinating and cerebral wine, with notes of dark red core fruit (and some purple), red and black currant, red and black raspberry, crimson plum, black cherry, cassis, red dirt, iron, dusty…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Deliberate and delineated POWER is the name of the game here with this wine...but not brutish in any way. The flavors hit you with a 'skydiving without a parachute' type of velocity that grab ahold…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Barrel sample. It's not every day that you find a 100% Cab Franc that is as utterly awesome as this '16 Dr. Crane. Yes, it is a barrel sample. Yes, barrel samples can be deceiving in terms of their…

Tusk Estates Cabernet Franc

Tasted at the House of Tusk Celebration event.