Cabernet Franc

What a great bottle for Halloween!  Cool label front and back and really good wine.  This is 100% Cabernet Franc from Rutherford.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose takes about 30 minutes to open then shows nice ripe Cab Franc, that is to say, black cherries, some black raspberries, coffee, dark chocolate, just a bit of cigar tobacco.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, lots of black cherry and black raspberry fruit with underlying coffee and tobacco.  Long finish.  Gives this some air if opening this Halloween, it really got going after being

It is not clear if this is a vintage wine.  The back label states "Assemblage 2018".  It is a blend of 31% Cabernet Franc, 26% Syrah, 22% Carmenere, 11% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Made from organic grapes.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries with an interesting minty streak.  Also some black pepper and a slight floral not with a bit of air.  On the palate, medium tannins.  Notes of black cherries and black raspberries.  Some peppery notes.  Nice finish.  This improved with about an hour of air.  Somewhat complex and very interesting.  This should drink

This is 90% Cabernet Franc, 7% Carménère, and 3% Petit Verdot from Chile.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose is dusty with tobacco and black cherries.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, and roasted Rosemary notes.  A bit of cherry candy on the finish.  Overall a more elegant Cab Franc that is drinking well now and should continue for the next decade.  This will work well with lamb stew or other slowly braised meat dishes.  

This is a rose made from Cabernet Franc and Merlot in Virginia.  Light pink in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with strawberries and some watermelon.  Light to medium bodied.  On the palate, this is crisp and clean.  It drinks quite easily and there is nice watermelon fruit.  Moderate finish.  This drinks well on its own but should work with all but the heaviest of meat dishes.  Drink over the next year.  

This is a blend of 35% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc.  It is certified organic.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries and slight char.  On the palate, medium to full bodied.  Raspberries and black raspberries.  Firm tannins.  Long finish.  This drinks easy with no bite.  Clean.  This drinks well now and should drink well for the next five to eight years.  Tasty on its own, this will work well with beef or pork dishes.   Really a tremendous value in organic wines.  

All of Sauska's blends are named after prime numbers as a testament to their uniqueness.  The lower the number, the better the wine.  This one is a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 21% Merlot.  It is aged 4 months in used French oak and two months is bottle prior to release.  Ruby in color with purple swirls, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, tobacco, plums and black pepper.  14% ABV.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, the cherries come thru along with the black pepper and slight tobacco underneath.  Nice balance.  Smooth and easy drinking.  Mild tannins.

This is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Merlot.  Purple in color, slight ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, some very smooth oak and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, there is a nice depth and complexity her.  Good acidity.  This is a really elegant wine that is just delicious.  It should continue to mature and perhaps improve over the next seven to ten years and drink well for fifteen more.  This would be a great steakhouse wine but will work well with a burger, too.  

This showed well despite its youthfulness but its best days are certainly ahead.  A blend of 85 % Cabernet Sauvignon 15 % Cabernet Franc.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar, and spice.  On the palate, plenty of cassis fruit.  Very firm tannins.  Lots of depth but its hard to see the bottom.  Tight but does show a lot of fruit with a very nice texture.  It is delicious today but would recommend 8 hours of air if opening.  This should continue to mature and improve over the next decade or more and drink well for ten to fifteen more after that.  Right now it

This is a blend of 72% Cabernet Franc and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is really in a nice place right now.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, slight tobacco, spices and slight dried floral notes.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a nice backbone of acidity.  Cherries and black cherries with some underlying forest floor/tobacco.  It unwinds in the glass to show a nice complexity.  Good finish.  This won't get better but should be outstanding drinking for the next ten to fifteen years.  It drinks well on its own but is better with food.  Roasted poultry would

This is another nice value play from Argentina.  It is an upfront, tasty wine that is affordable to most.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with plums, black cherries and dust.  Full bodied.  This is ripe but dry.  Lots of juicy black cherries and plums on the palate.  Light tannins.  Easy to drink.  This works great on its own and would work well with a burger off the grill.  Drink over the next few years.