Enver Salman Vineyard, Clarksburg
TASTING NOTES:
The
2023 Cabernet Franc has a garnet color of medium depth with youthful hues that
carry a carmine edge. There is plenty of
varietal character in this wine; zesty green peppers; jalapeño, serrano and
problano are accompanied by scents of dark cherry, wet stone and graphite. A mild dose of toasted oak provides a subtle
bouquet of tobacco leaf, leather and vanilla. Flavors of roasted peppers, bright
black cherry, along with a note of chalky earthiness are delivered by a wine
with a soft round texture that leads to a smooth lingering finish. This is an
easy drinking red wine produced with an eye towards early consumption: within
the next three to five years. Before
the summer vegetables disappear from the market I am tempted to make one last
batch of Ratatouille and pair it with this Cabernet Franc.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Franc
13.8% Alc. 0.84
g/100ml TA 3.33 pH
Oak Regime: 28% American
Oak, 60% French Oak, 12% Neutral Oak
In
Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc is traditionally planted where Cabernet Sauvignon will
not fully ripen. It is generally
considered a fall back variety, and if a grower could grow and completely
mature Cabernet Sauvignon in a particular vineyard site, Cabernet Franc would
not be considered. Therefore, most
Bordeaux producers would be extremely happy if their Cabernet Franc could taste
like Cabernet Sauvignon since that is what they would have preferred to plant
in the first place. Thus most producers of Cabernet Franc attempt to make a wine
similar to Cabernet Sauvignon from this grape.
Initially I did too, and I was disappointed time and again. So when Enver Salman asked me if I was
interested in trying his Cabernet Franc, I wasn’t too hopeful about the
outcome. Enver and his son, Joe, do a
terrific job growing Petite Sirah and they handle Cabernet Franc quite well
too. For my contribution, I stopped
trying to force a square peg into a round hole and let the Cabernet Franc make the
medium bodied wine it wants to, and sure enough the results have been very
satisfying.
Gold - San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
The price of this product varies with the quantity of products ordered in the category "Mix and Match"
| Qty | Unit Price |
| 1 - 11 | $28.00 |
| 12 + | $28.00 $25.20 |
|
