Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Cabernet Franc Against the Wind (75% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) offers a deep ruby/purple color, wonderful sweet black and blue fruit, camphor, asphalt and hints of flowers and toasty oak in the background, medium to full-bodied, intensely concentrated flavors, and 10-15 years of drinkability.
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Wine Enthusiast
There’s nuanced green pepper and herbs on the nose of this classic Cabernet Franc, balanced in dense but firm black fruit, tobacco and dusty tannins. Rich and velvety it has plenty of grip for the long haul and is a fine choice for rosemary-adorned lamb.
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.