Winemaker Notes
Working with the ancient techniques that have been passed down, Sebastien David has been producing stunning Cabernet Franc wines since 1999. Working with whole clusters, David ferments with wild yeasts, employing carbonic maceration for 25 days, followed by a light pressing to preserve the fruit's characteristics. The wines are then bottled without filtration or fining, and virtually no sulfur is added.
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.
Stretching east along the steep banks of the Loire River, Touraine is a major part of the Middle Loire. Soil variations of clay, sand, tuffeau and gravel throughout its subregions support both white and red varieties. Chinon and Bourgueil remain the source of Loire’s finest Cabernet Franc; various styles of the most outstanding Chenin blanc come from Vouvray and Montlouis.