Winemaker Notes
Blend: 81% Cabernet Franc, 19% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is a sneak peek at the new (only the second release) Cabernet Franc-based Cardinale wine! Blended of 81% Cabernet Franc and 19% Merlot, the 2016 Cabernet Franc is medium to deep garnet-purple colored with crushed black cherries, redcurrants and kirsch with hints of damp soil, pencil shavings, rose hip tea and lavender. Medium to full-bodied with a firm backbone of grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, it delivers bags of perfumed fruit and a long mineral-laced finish.
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.