Franciscan Estate Magnificat 2012
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Tasting
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Wilfred
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Tasting Panel
Aged for 20 months in 70% new oak, this is one of California's original Meritage blends, a wine produced since 1985 - and one of my all-time favorites. The 73% Cabernet Sauvignon (followed by Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc) is named for Bach's masterpiece. Dark fruit and dry coffee tannins align with its fine acidity which brighten and livens the nose and palate. An underlying earthiness with plum and cassis balances it out. Still so youthful - she will age with grace.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
If you ever wanted to find a true prototype of a red Meritage, then Franciscan Estate has the wine for you. The 2012 Magnificat presents a picture of pure elegance. This is such a classic wine that even the Bordelais would smile as they imbibed on this wine. Medium to dark ruby in color; brisk and elegant ripe, red fruit aroma, fine depth and definition; medium bodied, crisp and fine tannins on the palate; dry, pleasing acidity, well balanced; lively and bright red fruit flavors, a trace subtle and quite fine overall; medium finish, rich and complex in the aftertaste. Drinking pretty well now. (Tasted: December 3, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
A red Meritage driven by 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, this structured, full-bodied wine also blends in 19% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Blackberry and chocolate accent chalky tannins, with bold hits of black licorice, cassis, pencil and black tea. Drink now through 2020.
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Wine & Spirits
Mostly cabernet sauvignon (73 percent) and merlot (19 percent), this blend includes small amounts of petit verdot, malbec and franc. Time in oak has given a coal-black depth to its substantial tannins, while the fruit percolates through with pungent cherry skin and juicier cherry-flesh flavors. The dark, espresso-roast scent of oak continues in the finish, needing cellar time to meld completely with the fruit.
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Wine Spectator
Firm and complex, with enticing aromas of dark and red berry, spice, cedar and graphite...Ends long and fruity.
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James
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Wilfred
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Franciscan was founded in 1972 by a group of lawyers and doctors from San Francisco who decided to try turning their passion for wine into a business. In 1985, Agustin Huneeus, a Chilean exile who had built Concha y Toro in his native country, took over the helm at Franciscan. Huneeus refocused the winery on using the superlative grapes growing in its own vineyards, rather than sourcing from outside.
Today, Franciscan's wines are crafted under the exacting eye of Janet Myers, who came to Franciscan in August 2003 as associate winemaker after working in the Margaret River region and Beaulieu Vineyard, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Louis Martini. The winery remains committed to its tradition of small-lot winemaking, with small batches averaging just 150 to 1,500 cases. The image of a hand-operated wine press on Franciscan's logo and wine labels reflects this small lot approach to winemaking.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.