Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Heir Apparent Cabernet Franc offers a deep and dense ruby red. The nose is very expressive, with raspberry, olive tapenade, and herbs de Provence blend. Some might find a touch of lavender. On the palate, the wine is balanced, smooth with vanilla and accented with strawberry and blackcurrant. It is lively and soft altogether and a great pairing to your grilling adventures.
Blend: 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Nicely leafy on the nose, with some charcoal and baked bell-pepper character to the currants and cherries. Fluid and juicy, with crunchy plums and fresh tannins.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Heir Apparent Cabernet Franc features enough leafy, tobacco and menthol notes to give the wine's cherries a slightly medicinal cast. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, the wine shows ample concentration, a rich texture and a long, silky finish.
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.