Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The extraordinary 1997 Cabernet Franc is impressive. A massive, mountain-styled offering (unlike other California Cabernet Francs, with the possible exception of La Jota's), it boasts an opaque purple color as well as a fabulously sweet nose of black currants, cranberry liqueur, new oak, and roasted notes. Chewy, full-bodied, and exceptionally huge, this offering should become even more complex with another 5-6 years of cellaring. It should keep for two decades. This is a tour de force, particularly for Cabernet Franc.
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Wine Spectator
Packs in lots of flavor, with ripe, juicy plum, spice, cedar, blackberry and cherry. Has finesse and polish, with a long, integrated, firmly tannic 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.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.