AMERICAN WINE

JEB DUNNUCK 93 POINTS - "Lastly, the 2017 Cabernet Franc comes from Napa Valley (I'm not exactly sure where the fruit is from) and is all varietal. It's a more opulent wine than the Cabernet and has considerable fruit, richness, and depth on the palate, loads of dark, chocolaty fruit, and terrific notes of spring flowers, gravelly earth, forest floor, and hints of espresso. Beautifully done and balanced, with sweet tannins, it's a beautiful wine."

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Franc displays pronounced red and black cherries, mulberries and warm raspberries scents with underlying blueberries, pencil shavings and dried Provence herbs plus a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers mouth-filling red and blue fruits with a firm, grainy frame and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed."

In the heart of Napa Valley's Calistoga region lies a property that amazes both the sightseer, and the winemaker. Tom Kenefick's vineyard has been the source for many high-scoring wines from Lewis, Behren's and Hitchcock, and Cade.

Aged for 18 months in 65% new French oak, this wine has bright briary fruit nuance, dried cherry notes, and Baker's Chocolate greet the nose. Softly rounded tannins, underlined by cassis, and hints of creme brulee. Good to drink now but is a contender for cellaring 10 to 15 years.

This Cabernet Franc wine comes from an exceptional little vineyard planted in 1976 next to La Jota's century-old stone winery on Howell Mountain. Grafted onto resistant St. George rootstock, it escaped the ravages of phylloxera to become one of the oldest Cabernet Franc vineyards in Napa County. The old vines self-regulate so there's no need to thin crop, pull leaves, or in any other way adjust the grape-to-canopy ratio. Year after year, the grapes are intensely flavored and beautifully balanced. Not many wineries produce Cabernet Franc and this wine definitely captures the essence of La Jota terroir.

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "The 2017 Cabernet Franc Howell Mountain is very deep purple-black colored and gives expressive black cherries, kirsch, warm blackberries and boysenberry scents with touches of sawdust, red roses, camphor and cinnamon stick plus a waft of stewed tea. Full-bodied, the palate reveals a lot of depth with tons of red and black fruit layers and savory accents, framed by ripe, firm, grainy tannins, finishing with a refreshing lift and some mineral notions coming through."

JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "Lastly, the 2017 Cabernet Franc comes from three separate parcels and is 100% Cabernet Franc aged in 92% new French oak. It's an awesome bottle of wine with classic Franc black tea and forest floor notes as well as perfumed black raspberry fruits, lots of floral and bay leaf hints, medium to full body, fine tannins, and a terrific sense of elegance. It's a classy wine to enjoy any time over the coming 15-20 years."

John & Tracey Skupney's 214 Cabernet Franc (named after the specific clone used in the wine) is viewed as a 'Vin de Garde', or a wine to age, meaning that with proper cellaring the wine will display additional complexities and nuance.

This is the seventh vintage of Lang & Reed "Two-Fourteen" Cabernet Franc, which displays a brilliant crimson color with a typical, youthful violet-blue edge. The aroma distills white and red cherry with an ethereal "sous bois" (or forest floor) impression. On the palate, this wine possesses bright and pure Cabernet Franc flavors of firm black cherry, cassis and graphite, which are expansive and made mouthwatering by ample fresh fruit acidity. The finish is supported by solid, but not oppressive, tannins, which have flavor elements that provide memorable length. This is a fresh and exacting expression of Cabernet Franc, attributed to the 214 clone, that will serve well now or gain in complexity with additional bottle age.

WINE ENTHUSIAST - Vanilla bean, blackberry and bramble berry aromas are teased by star anise on the nose. The smooth palate is juicy with acidity and flavors of cranberry, raspberry and plum. Crushed velvet tannins add depth along with flavors of kitchen herbs, a sprinkle of pepper and a drop of vanilla. Baking spice appears on the finish ending on a savory note with red plum.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: "This Cabernet Franc is deeply pigmented and rich. Aromas remind me of blueberry pie, with a nice touch of toasty French Oak. Ripe and peppery from nose to palate. One of the best Cab Francs we have made. Dense concentrated flavors, black fruit driven with impression of cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and olallieberry. Delicious. "