Winemaker Notes
This wine shows off the true nature of what Washington State Cab Franc should be, a combination of both herbal and earthy notes combined with a core of both red and black fruits.
A perfect food wine that has aging capability with a very accessible palate right out of the gate.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lots of classic Franc violets, flowers, and foresty, almost minty notes emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Franc Two Blondes Vineyard. It offers lots of mulberry and cherry fruits, medium body, good overall balance, and a juicy, elegant texture. This cuvée is 100% Cabernet Franc aged 22 months in 25% new French oak.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Surprisingly showing less green and herbal notes than the Cabernet Sauvignon of the same vineyard and vintage, the 2018 Two Blondes Vineyard Cabernet Franc has a more compact nose that requires coaxing out of the glass with swirling. Elements of turned earth, dusty florals, sweet brown spices and red plum skin make their mark in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is subdued with a linear frame, offering blackberry skin and graphite flavors. The wine continues to open up and evolves with a lingering tannic edge, ending with a touch of plum reduction. The wine rested for just under two years in 25% new French oak.
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.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.