|
Pride Mountain Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley
The 2018 Cabernet Franc is a gorgeous expression of this grape that can be challenging in some settings but just excels on our mountaintop. The 2018 is intensely aromatic with ripe red raspberry and currant comingling with blackberry and black mission fig. Graphite, cedar, and bay leaf blend with hibiscus flowers, bergamot citrus, and exotic spices like star anise and Szechuan pepper. The palate has no hard edges, being rich and caressingly smooth, with a persistent finish that allows the vibrant fruit and spice nuances to linger like a slow-moving sunset. 2018 is a really beautiful Cabernet Franc!
With its expressive fruit, savory intrigue and seamless texture, the 2018 Cabernet Franc balances the elegance and exoticism so characteristic of the 2018 vintage. An essentially perfect growing season culminated in separate picks of our four cabernet franc blocks over a leisurely three-week period between October 15th and November 9th. Wines were aged individually in French oak barrels, 40% new, for just under a year before the blend was assembled and returned to barrel to marry for another seven months.
|
Type |
Red |
|
Varietal |
85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
|
|
Vintage |
2018 |
|
Bottle size |
750mL |
|
Alcohol content |
14.4% |
|
Appellation |
Napa and Sonoma
|
|
Wine Advocate |
93
|
|
Wine Enthusiast |
--
|
|
Wine Spectator |
--
|
|
Other |
--
|
Pride Mountain PhilosophyOur aim is to make big red wines on the black-fruit side of the ripeness spectrum that nonetheless maintain balance, nuance, and complexity. We want our wines to be approachable in their youth, yet to age beneficially for ten to fifteen years. How best to achieve these goals is something we continue to experiment with in small lot trials.
There is sometimes an unfortunate division between wine enthusiasts seeking the elegant nuances of aged French wines, and those seeking the intense fruit concentration of younger California wines. Our attitude is that each wine growing region has its own unique expression that can be embraced and enjoyed for what it is. In California, we have the ability to achieve a level of ripeness that is simply not possible in France. How to make a wine that celebrates this unique gift of ripeness without sacrificing structure, complexity and balance, is an artistic challenge that continues to be our raison detre here at Pride Mountain Vineyards.
|
 |
|
750mL
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
