Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2014 Cabernet Franc is a step up over the Cabernet Sauvignon. It offers a distinct Cabernet Franc herbal, floral character to go with classic currants, black raspberry, and cherry fruit. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and seamless, with beautiful tannin, it should keep for 10-15 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Rounded in texture, this wine boasts a juicy mid-palate and well-integrated oak tones. Cigar, tar, cranberry, currant and a pleasing bouquet of violet give it lingering character and a lasting impression.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2014 Maxville Cabernet Franc is true to the grape variety. Combined with 5% Petite Sirah, this wine delivers a heady richness of black fruit, smoke, and wood. The wine's rewarding palate textures make it a nice choice for barbecued pork ribs. Drinks well now. (Tasted: October 18, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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.