Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
There’s a regal sense of restraint in this bottling, starting with a light color and aromas of strawberry, white pepper, marjoram and baked soil. Crisp cranberry and raspberry flavors are layered with wild chaparral and desert herbs, a style that will work well with a wide variety of foods, from tacos to tenderloin.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMPOSITION: Cabernet Franc has been gaining traction over the past decade, and many of California's smaller producers have uncovered a treasure trove some hidden vineyards. The 2017 I. Brand Cabernet Franc, from the Bayly Ranch, is a wine of excellent merit. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits clarity of varietal character. Its aromas and flavors of dust, dried herbs and earth should pair it beautifully with a grilled ribeye. (Tasted: March 19, 2019, 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.
The warmest part of the greater San Benito AVA, but cooler than the Central Valley, the Paicines appellation excels in the production of concentrated and high-quality, red Bordeaux varietal wines and blends.