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Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc Wine Details
Price: $35.00 per bottle

Description: The 2000 vintage started cool and late which led to an anticipated later than usual harvest. The variable summer weather and dry season accelerated the ripening of the fruit and allowed us to harvest, almost to the day, as we did in 1999. The 2000 Cab Franc is a powerful and exotic wine: aromas of blueberry, violets, sandlewood, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg are prominent. The flavors are a true expression of the aromas: a big mouthful of ripe berry fruit, spicy and with great length and intensity.

Varietal Definition
Cabernet Franc:
Cabernet Franc is an accessible, spicy, herbal, dark blue grape variety that is often compared to Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc tends to be softer and has less tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon, although the two can be difficult to distinguish. Sometimes the French refer to Cabernets, which could mean either of the two grapes. Its typical aromas include an herbaceous and pronounced peppery nose, even in ripe fruit, and something eerily like tobacco. The Cabernet Franc ripens at an earlier stage, which gives it reason to exist in the Bordeaux area. In the Loire, where we find it a lot, it gives a clear red fresh and fruity wine.
Cabernet Sauvignon:
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted and significant among the five dominant varieties in France’s Bordeaux region, as well as the most successful red wine produced in California. Though it was thought to be an ancient variety, recent genetic studies at U.C. Davis have determined that Cabernet Sauvignon is actually the hybrid offspring of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon berries are small with black, thick and very tough skin. This toughness makes the grapes fairly resistant to disease and spoilage and able to withstand some autumn rains with little or no damage. It is a mid to late season ripener. These growth characteristics, along with its flavor appeal have made Cabernet Sauvignon one of the most popular red wine varieties worldwide.


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