Winemaker Notes
The 2018 is dark, powerful and layered. The color is deepest red with a dark core. Aromatics of dark plum, black cherry, briary blackberries, coffee, Madagascar chocolate, a hint of bay and floral notes fill the glass. The palate is dense and saturating with layers of deep fruit, framed by bountiful, but never harsh tannins. The finish promises a beautifully long life.
Blend: 75% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Cabernet Franc The Prior checks in a 75% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from three sites and aged 21 months in new barrel. It has absorbed its oak élevage beautifully and has lots of pure blue and black fruits as well as notes of violets, spring flowers, and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied and silky on the palate, it has some savory, powerful tannins that should round into form with 2-4 years of bottle age.
Rating: 94+ -
James Suckling
Pretty aromas of wild raspberries, currants, dried flowers, oregano, cloves and sandalwood. Full-bodied with firm, polished tannins. Well-structured and concentrated with a delicious, lengthy finish. Drink from 2023.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 75% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Franc The Prior is deep garnet-purple in color, featuring fragrant notes of red and black plum preserves, redcurrant jelly, kirsch and underbrush with wafts of pencil lead and cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate has alluring restraint, giving up soft-spoken red fruit and earthy layers with a firm, chewy texture and bags of freshness, finishing earthy.
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Wine Spectator
Solidly built, showing sweet tobacco, dried anise and apple wood notes that complement a core of steeped black currant and blackberry fruit, with everything driving through the finish in unison.
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.