Notes from the Winemaker: Cabernet Franc is a fickle old grape. Franc grows as a more primitive vine then its son Cabernet Sauvignon. At our Stone Ridge Vineyard on Howell Mountain we grow Cabernet Franc in two blocks. Block 4 is older and has more intensity then Block 5, which were budded over from Merlot in 2004. 2006 is a year that produced intense wines with wonderful tannins that will soften as the wine ages.
2006 is the first year we produced a varietal Cabernet Franc. We are excited by the blueberry and sage aromas and enjoy the cedar notes that give this wine complexity. This is a full bodied wine with smooth round tannins that flow across the palate from attack throughthe long blueberry, raspberry finish. This wine is tasty now and will benefit from further aging.
For optimal tasting, open this bottle one hour before serving, or decant.
