Cabernet Franc
Soft, round, and elegant, our Cabernet franc has notes of brambleberry, caramel, and baking spices.
YEAR: 2016
BLEND: 80% Cabernet franc, 20% Merlot
SOURCE:
Cabernet franc – Six Prong Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills AVA, WA
Merlot – Scooteney Flats Vineyard, Red Mountain AVA, WA
ABV: 14%
WINEMAKER NOTES: The 2016 vintage began remarkably hot in the spring but cooled off by summer. This extended hang time allowed for both gradual and even ripening – perfect weather for developing ripe fruit flavors and expressive aromatics in our Cabernet Franc grapes. We were so happy with this fruit that, for the first time ever, we decided to do a varietal bottling with only a small portion of Red Mountain Merlot to round out this limited production wine. Aged in 100% new French, French/American hybrid, and American barrels, this is a wine that will drink beautifully for years to come.
AWARDS:
- Best of Class – 2020 San Francisco Chronicle
- Best Cabernet Franc/Double Gold – 2019 Cascadia Wine Competition
- Gold – 2019 Critic’s Challenge (92 Points)
- Platinum – 2020 Wine Press Northwest
- “Outstanding” – 2019 Great Northwest Wine Review
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
- Lamb Gyros
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Moroccan Beef Stew
- French Onion Soup
PRICE:
$15.00 bottle / $100 case
$24.00 bottle
REVIEWS:
For a smallish winery tucked away in Maine, Cellardoor and its winemaker, Aaron Peet, tapped into a vein of gold medal grapes in the Northwest. He uses his ties and experience as a graduate of Walla Walla Community College’s enology and viticulture program, but he also had a Midas touch. His cabernet franc, made with grapes from the Columbia Valley, displays spot-on varietal character in its theme of blackberry, dark cherry, a hint of leafy herbs and caramel.
Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman – Great Northwest Wine
– Marguerite Thomas
Wine enthusiasts who shy from Cabernet Franc for fear of finding bell peppers or asparagus in their glass can put that concern aside here. This is one Cabernet Franc that comes down assuredly on the fruit side of the variety’s flavor spectrum, and the fruits are all plump plums and sweet berries.
