Keenan Cabernet Franc 2005
-
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
"Freakishly good" is how we have come to describe this single vineyard Cabernet Franc from our highest elevation vineyard (approx. 2000') aptly named the "Upper Bowl". Cabernet Franc is simply not supposed to be this delicious. The 2005 vintage has some of the most pinpoint laser-like flavors we have ever seen due to a higher than normalnatural acid level at harvest. Enjoy now or decades from now.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Keenan has done a fabulous job with the 2005 Cabernet Franc, a varietal that excels on Spring Mountain. A beautiful nose of menthol, black raspberries, blueberries, and flowers is followed by a fabulously intense, yet light on its feet, wine. Medium-bodied with excellent fruit and palate penetration, it never seems to tire or become overbearing. This is a gorgeously pure, lovingly textured effort to drink over the next 10-15 years.
Other Vintages
2016-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Wong
Wilfred
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert
While the beauty and history of the land are appealing, it is the richness of the soils that makes the hillside perfect for an estate winery. These soils are, in great measure, responsible for the dramatic intensity of the fruit associated with the ultra-premium wines produced at Robert Keenan Winery.
Keenan completed a solar power system on their property that went on-line in 2007. The system supplies all of the estate’s energy needs, including the winery, administrative offices, visitor hospitality area, and the homes located on the property. The Napa Valley Vintners have recognized Keenan as a “green” winery, which they proudly announce on the back labels: Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.