Cabernet Franc

A friend opened this bottle for me.  I believe this was their first release of this wine.  Although I believe Outpost is making better wines now than they were then, it was a pleasure and an insight into how well these wines can age.  This is drinking beautifully and still on the youthful side.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, spice and slight dried floral notes.  On the palate, this is concentrated.  It has a wonderful texture.  Juicy black cherry fruit.  Long finish.  It still has some lighter tannins to resolve.  This will go well with medium and heavier foods.  It

Bevan Cellars makes some of the best wines anywhere but his Napa Cabs are very expensive.  So is this one, but it is half the price of the others and that makes this a great value in the rarefied air of top Napa Cabs.  On release, this was $95.  This is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

 This is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc.  This is a very nice value in Napa Cabernet.  They also make a Reserve which is a bit better but a lot more expensive.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose shows cassis, a bit of coffee, slight anise, and spice.  On the palate, this is soft but still has enough structure to hang the fruit on.  Good balance.  Cassis with an earthy/tobacco underneath.  Good finish.  This will work well with a wide variety of foods.  It may improve still but certainly should last another seven to ten years.   

This is a red blend that is 48% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah.  It is a delicious wine that is drinking well but will likely improve with some cellar time.  Deep ruby in color with some purple at the core.  The nose shows black raspberries, cherries, dark chocolate, spice and cigar box.  On the palate, this is medium to full bodied.  Moderate tannins.  Lots of cherries, black cherries and also some plums over char and tobacco.  Nice finish.  This will work well with bigger foods and certainly a burger on the grill would be great.  Drin

This is a Trader Joe's wine made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is an easy drinking rose that is easy on the budget.  Deep pink/orange in color.  The nose has some watermelons and strawberries.  Light bodied.  On the palate, a bit of clean strawberries.  Drank well enough on its own and worked with a variety of garden and fruit salads.  Drink up this summer.  

This is a Bordeaux blend with 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc.  It is a bit more understated than the Cabernet from the True Vineyard.  Drinking well now, this improved with a bit of air and really needs a few more years in the cellar.  But it is fantastic right now.  People who prefer Bordeaux will probably prefer this to the Cab and visa-versa.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, slight blueberries, milk chocolate, cigar box, vanilla and spice.  Yes, there is a lot going on.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Compl

This is interesting.  I normally prefer a Rose to be young (with a couple of important exceptions) but this still tasted youthful at 5 years from vintage.  It is made from Merlot and a bit of Cabernet Franc.  Orange/salmon pink in color, clear and bright.  The nose has watermelons, strawberries and slight hay.  On the palate, this is clean with just a touch of acidity.  Cherries and strawberries.  Nice finish.  This will go with anything from a light salad to a burger or fowl.  

This is coming along quite nicely.  It's not yet at peak and still drinks big and young.  Purple in color.  The nose is big with black cherries, some black raspberry, spice, some chocolate and a bit of coffee.  On the palate, this has medium tannins.  Lots of black cherry and black raspberry fruit over a bit of char/dark chocolate.  Slight black licorice on the finish.  This is delicious and great on its own or with bolder roasted meat (or vegetable) dishes.  It will continue to improve for another five to ten years, and be good for another ten to fifteen after that if well stored.  This bo

This is from a region typically more known for their whites.  The owner of this winery is the son and nephew of the owners of Clos Rougeard, a "cult" wine in the Loire Valley.  This is Cabernet Franc from old vines.  It is a very nice wine.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has a slight barnyard with cherries, black licorice and slight hay quality.  On the palate, concentrated cherries.  Nice layering as this unwinds in the glass.  It has a soft texture but at the some time intense.  Long finish.  Certainly not over ripe, this wine will work better with food.  It would be interesting to try

This is a Bordeaux blend Super Tuscan wine from one of the top producers in Tuscany.  It is one of their less expensive offerings and is always an outstanding wine.  This wine is surprisingly open and drinking well already considering that 2015 is an outstanding vintage in Tuscany.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, slight tobacco and spice.  On the palate, this has a nice juiciness to it.  Black cherry fruit dominates at this point with some underlying tobacco/earth.  Light tannins.  Nice finish.  This might still improve but either way should be good