Tag Archives: Cabernet franc

Alpha Omega Cabernet Franc – Petit Verdot 2016, Napa Valley, USA

02 Tuesday Jun 2020

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Stunning purple in the glass with nice thin legs.  On the nose I get a huge dose of black currants, black berries and oaky vanilla.  Mint also makes an appearance.  On the initial palate it is really juicy with black fruits galore.  Beautiful oak is well integrated with coconut flavors present.  The tannic structure shows a gradual ramp up to reach a drying peak on the finish.  The mid palate is lush and fruity with some black tea, cassis, more coconut and capsicum.  The finish is dry with those nice tannins really gripping.  There’s a very balancing, juicy acidity that I’m really enjoying.  This wine begs to be drunk, it is a stunning example of how delicious Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are as the prime components in wine.  93 points and 5 stars for this $104 stunner.  Drink till 2030.

Bodega Garzon Reserva Cabernet Franc 2018, Maldonado, Uruguay

09 Saturday May 2020

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I was impressed with the Garzon Tannat so I am hoping for equal results with this Cabernet Franc.  It’s very dark in the glass, lovely rich color.  The nose is very fruity with black berries, boysenberry and rich oak.  The palate is very appealing, light in a spright kind of way but thick with flavor.  Black fruits dominate with violets and a mint component thrown in for good measure.  This wine is very easy on the palate, with lithe tannins and a juicy acidity.  The mid palate continues the blackberry theme but in a more restrained way.  It’s not jammy or full throttle.  Very seductive, as I like in Cab Franc.  The finish is decent in length and shows off some oak with the black fruit.  It fades within 20 seconds and leaves me wanting another sip.  Overall this is a good wine, but not up to the standard of the Tannat.  90 points and 5 stars for this $15 wine.  Salut….

Durigutti Cabernet Franc 2017, Mendoza, Argentina

08 Friday May 2020

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Bright purple in the glass with long legs.  On the nose it’s somewhat muted, but with a good swirl I am able to coax blackberry, vanilla bean and charred oak.  On the palate it’s very inviting with black fruits, violets, licorice and crisp tannins.  The mid palate is quite tart with sour black cherry and more blackberries.  Towards the finish this wine gets more and more dry.  The teeth and gums are coated with black and Lapsang Souchong teas, astringent yet tasty with a slight smoke note.  It’s a very tasty wine that needs a few years in cellar.  90 points and 4 starts for this $17 Cab France.  Salut….

Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Franc 2009, Virginia, USA

24 Friday Jan 2020

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In Magnum, I was hoping for a repeat of last years tasting of the 2008 Cab Franc.  Dark purple, medium opacity.  Nose is exquisite- plum reduction, oaky warmth, tobacco and leather.  On the palate it shows purple framboise, some cassis, more tobacco and that delicious tertiary note of leather.  The midpalate has a touch of tart cranberry compote alongside the flavors already noted.  The finish is medium length, fresh and a touch tannic.  This wine is at peak now.  Drink till 2023.  91 points and 4 stars.  Available from the winery as part of their library collection for $180, or $60 for a regular 750 mill- wow.  Salut….

Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet 2016, Bordeaux, France

22 Friday Nov 2019

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It’s been a while since I drank some of this old perennial favorite.  This vintage shows dark purple in the glass.  On the nose- charcoal, blackberry and fig.  The palate is very pleasant and easy drinking.  There are blackberry notes, tar, wintergreen and crunchy tannins.  They dry the gums immediately but not excessively.  The mid palate is much the same, black fruits abound.  The tannins really go the distance and lead me to the finish of blackberry pie meets a slate.  There is quite a bit of minerality alongside the tannic thrust.  The wine is well balanced and well made.  There’s a reason I drank a crapload of it in the early days, it offers good value for money.  Drink till 2025 with a nice NY Strip and creamed spinach.  I’m going 88 points and 5 stars for $9. Salut….

Raats Cabernet Franc 2015, Stellenbosch, South Africa

01 Friday Mar 2019

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Very dark purple in the glass.  Bramble, creosote, black berries and blueberry jam on the nose.  On the palate this is a tannic beast- full of dark fruits, young and brooding.  It is laced with blackberries, toasty oak and mouth coating tannins.  The midpalate has some telltale violets- the varietal shines thru.  On the finish this wine offers black berries, more charred wood notes and those really grippy tannins.  A touch young- it needs aerating or cellaring. Drink till 2027 with braised lamb, Moussaka or a thick steak.  91 points and 4 stars for this $40 Cab Franc.  Salut….

Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Franc 2008, Virginia, USA

01 Tuesday Jan 2019

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What a way to ring in the New Year- this is a beauty that I opened from Magnum.  I’m a huge fan of this wine and bought a three year vertical from the Barboursville winery years ago when I visited.  I also drank it in regular size offerings on more than one occasion, writing about the 08 Cab Franc back in 2011.

Dark purple in the glass and still showing signs of youth.  On the nose I get black currants, rich plum compote, a touch of oak and some Ribena.  On the palate it is gorgeous.  Black fruits galore, iodine, super smooth tannins and lithe acidity.  The mid palate has notes of Kirsch, blackberry reduction.  The finish is just a great tapering of the whole package- black fruits, gentle tannins, round acidity all ending up with a nice, balanced mouthfeel.  92 points and 4 stars as the wine is no longer readily available in regular format, $180 buys you a Magnum though.  Drink till 2024 with all kinds of meat, think Filet, perhaps Moussaka and of course Pasta.  I look forward to the next two bottles in the vertical.  I am also thinking of buying newer vintages for the cellar, this one obviously did well in its evolution.  Salut….

Baer Winery Arctos 2013, Columbia Valley, USA

09 Sunday Sep 2018

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Very dark in the glass, somewhat murky.  The nose is lush with plums, eucalyptus, bramble and fir tree.  On the palate it echoes the flavors with delicious purple plum paste and fresh earthy herbs.  A green note pops up on the mid palate which gives a bit of pique.  The tannins are well integrated and the acidity shines through at the end.   Green bitterness hits right on the back end which detracted me for a sec.  I love the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (84%) with the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.  The greenness I’m guessing is from the Verdot.  Overall a very delicious, layered wine that drinks well now through 2022.  90 points and 4 stars for this $40 effort.  Salut….

Cosentino ‘The FRANC’ Cabernet Franc Lodi 2014

24 Monday Oct 2016

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A see through purple that indicates to me a textbook amount of extraction for this seductive and silky grape.  A nose of black fruits, oak and black cherry.  I have come across this profile before, but not in a Cabernet Franc.  On the palate there is a really delicious black cherry component that mixes it up with violets.  The tannins are well integrated yet offer a certain dryness that goes well with many foods.  The mid palate and finish continue the tastes found initially and the wine rounds out with a decent mid length finish that has a tar component.  I am really enjoying this wine, not just because I love Cab Franc, but because it adheres to some of the basic tenets of the grape yet goes into uncharted territory for me.  89 points from me and for $13 it is a good deal worth 4 stars.  Salut….
cosentino the franc

Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2013

01 Friday May 2015

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If you read much of my blogging you will know that I love this varietal.  It exudes a softer sexier side to the Cabernet grape while showing off floral notes.  This winery is where my son and I took a tour when we were in the Valley this past Spring.  The wine is a crimson purple and has a stunning nose of blackberry and chocolate with some violet hints.  Super smooth introduction of black and blue berries with a smidgen of oak and a tasty coating of lithe tannins. The mid palate is dark and brooding whilst the finish is decently long and caressing with tannic dryness and a touch of acidity. This is a super delicious wine which technically gets 91 points from me, bravo. 2015-2022.  $28 make it a 4 star effort in my books.  Salut….

alexander valley vineyards cabernet franc