Cabernet Franc 2018

Cabernet Franc, the spirited Robin Hood-like folk hero of the Loire Valley, is not as common in California as one might think. This makes Ryan and Megan’s version, which nods to the French style by leaning into the high notes, all the more exciting. They sourced their fruit from the cool-climate Alegria Vineyard, an organically farmed heritage site just south of Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley. While much of the vineyard consists of interplanted varieties that date back to the 1800s, the Cabernet Franc was planted in 1990. The wine was fermented in two separate lots — one partially carbonic in tank, and the other whole cluster in clay amphora. Both lots were pressed separately to neutral oak barrels and blended prior to bottling.