Winemaker Notes
Blend: 36% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Syrah and 15% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Cuvee Frangin is a new cuvee that’s playing in the value-end of the spectrum, and it does a damn good job of it...it offers knockout aromas and flavors of plum, tobacco leaf, dried herbs, and spice to go with a medium to full-bodied, supple and downright sexy profile on the palate. Up-front and ready to go, it will nevertheless have close to a decade of longevity and is a perfect intro into the style of this estate. It also represents a superb value.
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Wine Enthusiast
A new wine for this winery, this comes from declassified barrels from its other programs. This blend of Merlot (36%), Syrah (26%), Cabernet Sauvignon (23%) and Petit Verdot delivers a whole lot of immediate appeal with its notes of smoke, char, black currant, huckleberry and plum. The flavors are full and lush with a creamy, supple feel and soft tannins.
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Wine & Spirits
A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah and petit verdot, this posh red leads with spiced cherry aromas, a hint of tobacco adding a savory note. The flavors are oak driven but remain fresh and spicy, while espresso-grind-fineness of tannins brings the wine to a firm close. Pair it with fennel-rubbed pork loin.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh and vibrant, this polished style offers plum, currant and spice flavors in lavish proportions, narrowing just a bit as the finish lingers enticingly. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Drink now through 2018.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.