Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The data of Santa Ynez Valley Cabernet Francs had been sketchy for decades, but in recent years I have seen excellent examples come out of nowhere. The 2015 Brick Barn Reserve Cabernet Franc is one of those wines. TASTING NOTES. This wine—showing a Bordelais spin—comes with excellent extraction on the palate. Its aromas and flavors of black fruit, sweet tannins, and savor oak make it a choice pair partner with grilled tri-tip. (Tasted: July 3, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.