2001 Cabernet Franc

2001 Cabernet Franc

For those of you new to Cabernet Franc, this one is going to spoil you for anything else. For those of you who know it and love it – this is the Holy Grail. Like the original settlers of Spring Mountain, our 2001 Cabernet Franc has had great character bred into it by our rugged mountain terrain. Three small vineyard blocks, situated on some of our steeper slopes and terraces, have produced a wine with bottomless ruby color, a gorgeous middle body and incredible texture. Huge and mouth-filling, this is a wine of almost endless dimensions. Twenty-five percent mountain grown Merlot has been added to offer further complexity. Varietal aromas of rich, ripe blackberries and blueberries leap from the glass, accented with a trace of tea. On the palate, the dark berry flavors explode, lingering there for minutes on end, with cassis and cocoa unfolding in the finish.

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Appellation: Sonoma County
Vintage: 2001
Harvest: October 2001
Fermentation: Stainless Steel
Cooperage: French Oak
Blend: 75% Cabernet Franc
25% Merlot
Alcohol: 14.1%
Bottling: April 2003
Production: 1130 cases
Release Date: May 2003
Release Price:

Reviews

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  • Wine & Spirits: August 2004 - Rating: 93

    Pride's mountaintop vineyard at the border of Napa and Sonoma counties is a great place to grow Cabernet Franc. The high builds a depth of flavor into these grapes that shows up in layers of green spice in the wine, almost a garam marsala intensity. And it shows off franc's refinement of tannin, a firmness that frames the beautiful expression of Spring Mountain's soil, well drained hilltops eroded from what were most likely once sea beds, pushed 2000 feet above the sea by the Pacific Plate. Winemaker Bob Foley believes their content, structure and exceptional drainage Account for the soft textures of his wines. This cabernet franc gains stature as it takes on air, offering tremendous complexity a day after the bottle is first opened. Delicious with braised lamb, whether a long cooked shank or in a Bolognese sauce over fresh pasta.

  • Wine Spectator Weekly: September 4, 2003 - Rating: 91

    Spicy, toasty, mocha-scented oak plays a strong role in this richly flavored wine built around ripe plum, blueberry and wild berry flavors. Finishes with a lift and sense of elegance. Drink now through 2010.

  • The Wine Advocate: December 23, 2003 - Rating: 95

    Cabernet Franc's floral and blueberry characteristics are found in this intense, medium-bodied 2001 along with extraordinary elegance and palate presence. A hedonistic as well as intellectual turn-on, it should age nicely for 10-15 years, but who can resist it now? A blend of 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot.

  • Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: May/June 2004 - Rating: 91

    Good Ruby-Red. Sappy, fruit driven aromas of blackberry, cassis & espresso, lifted by a violet element. Rich, supple and sweet with lush but lively flavors of cassis and dark chocolate. Finishes with sweet, broad tannins and excellent length. Delicious Cabernet Franc.