CA Cab Franc recs?

[Tom Chen]

I'm not that familiar with this grape as the main component.

Any recommendations for Cab Franc based wines that are fairly representative of the grape (not looking for something that tastes more like a Cab, as I have tons of those types of wines)?

Thanks much!

Tom

EDIT: to correct my stupid mischaracterization of Ghost Dog

[OwenB]

I think Ghost Dog is predominately Petite Sirah and Cab Sauv. Wasn't aware of there being any Cab Franc in it, but I could be wrong.

[Loren Sonkin]

What is your price range?

[Tom Chen]

Thanks Owen.

Don't know why I thought Ghost Dog was mainly Cab Franc.

I corrected the post, but I still really liked the Ghost Dog I tasted (2016 vintage).

[Shay_A]

Hard to go wrong with Detert’s Cabernet Franc. The history, the land, quality...all there.

Another one that stays true, albeit more expensive, is Jarvis Cabernet Franc.

[Tom Chen]

What is your price range?

Since I don't know what is "good" or "bad" Cab Franc yet, I would like to stick with $75 or less, but if there are stellar examples above that price point, that is fine too.

I would imagine there are some nice bargains out there relative to Napa Cabs.

Thanks Loren.

[KyleC]

Hard to go wrong with Detert’s Cabernet Franc. The history, the land, quality...all there.

Another one that stays true, albeit more expensive, is Jarvis Cabernet Franc.

+1 to Detert and Jarvis. I'll add Clos du Val's CF to the list as well.

[MICHAEL C R O M W E L L]

Here are some suggestions

Less than $100
Chappellet
Amizetta
Turnbull

$100-150
Detert
Aonair
ARNYCA
Palazzo


Going to higher price points:

BRAND Proprietary
Ovid Hexameter
Realm Falstaff
Predecessor
Realm BTK

[Philip G]

What is your price range?

Since I don't know what is "good" or "bad" Cab Franc yet, I would like to stick with $75 or less, but if there are stellar examples above that price point, that is fine too.

I would imagine there are some nice bargains out there relative to Napa Cabs.

Thanks Loren.

Chappellet or La Jota would be what I would go for in that price range. Chappellet will be excellent. I haven't had La Jota but have had their Syrahs and I'm guessing the CF would be very good too.

[larry schaffer]

Plenty of great suggestions and a few more to add to the list:

Lang and Reed (they started out ONLY making Cab Francs)
Jonata
Lieu Dit
Roark Wine Company
Big Table in OR

The variety can certainly be polarizing depending upon what you are looking for. The last three make lighter takes on the variety but stay true to the more Loire green elements that I dig in the variety.

Cheers

[Jeff_M.]

Pride & Chappellet are my two main go to's for CF in Napa Valley. I just started buying Detert based on recommendations here. I like Ehlers Estate CF as well but am not a buyer of it annually.

I have had very nicely aged Pride and Chappellet CF and would recommend them very highly.

[Tom Chen]

Thanks all.

I will pick up a bottle or two from some of the above.

Any suggested vintages for drinking now, not necessarily for showing the best, but to get a sense of style that I may like?

Once I find one or two I really like, I'll pick up more from them across some vintages for more aging.

At this point, just trying to see which producer/style I may like best.

[larry schaffer]

Tom,

Just head over to Wine Exchange and hit up Kyle for suggestions; or go to Hi Time and hit up Dan - both will steer you right. And you might want to throw in some Chinon in there for comparison sake.

Cheers.

[Jeff_M.]

Thanks all.

I will pick up a bottle or two from some of the above.

Any suggested vintages for drinking now, not necessarily for showing the best, but to get a sense of style that I may like?

Once I find one or two I really like, I'll pick up more from them across some vintages for more aging.

At this point, just trying to see which producer/style I may like best.

The last 6 years of releases, 12-18 have been great. 17 was a warmer year and I haven't had many 17 reds yet. I would go with 13, 15 and 16 vintages if going for Napa Valley.

[Tom Chen]

Thanks Larry.

I love Wine Exchange!

Gives me a good reason to pay them a visit.

[M. Meer]

Ehlers and Acorn are nice examples of CA cabernet franc (read: not Loire)

[jnbrown]

I second Wine Exchange.
If you order from them get some of Larry's Cinsault, you shouldn't miss it.

[Chris Seiber]

Viader is a highly acclaimed Napa producer of cab franc. Their signature wine, Viader (their proprietary red), is usually something like half to 2/3rds cab franc, plus they make a cab franc bottling called Dare.

Viader is a lovely wine, definitely showcasing the character of modern California cab franc within its flagship blend. I haven't tried the Dare yet.

[Tom DeBiase]

If you like a lighter style Cab Franc that is delicious and so easy to drink, try RYME Cab Franc. The 2018 is the current vintage and it is excellent. Added bonus is lower alcohol and only old barrels used.

Will post a recent note later.

Here is my note from earlier this year. No need to spend anywhere near $100.00, the 2018 RYME Cab Franc is $35.00 direct from the winery.

2018 Ryme Cabernet Franc Alegria Vineyard: The wine was fermented in two separate lots. One was a whole cluster fermentation in a tank and pressed gently by foot once a day to keep the top fresh and release some juice. This results in a partial carbonic fermentation. The other lot was whole cluster into clay amphora. Both fermentations were pressed separately to neutral oak barrels and blended prior to bottling.
Bright fresh cherry, crushed black pepper, green herbs, basil and cedar. Very good acidity and some grippy tannins on the finish. Year after year the Ryme Cab Franc is a favorite of ours. Very versatile with food. 12.5 ABV.

Tom

[Tom DeBiase]

If you like a lighter style Cab Franc that is delicious and so easy to drink, try RYME Cab Franc. The 2018 is the current vintage and it is excellent. Added bonus is lower alcohol and only old barrels used.

Will post a recent note later.

Tom

[JohnP]

If you like mountain cabs, I'd encourage to try La Jota cab franc, for $100. If you're looking for a total hedonistic valley cab franc blend (40% cab franc 60% cab), Bevan's EE Tench is mind-blowing good, for $195.

[Max S.]

Here are some suggestions

Less than $100
Chappellet
Amizetta
Turnbull

Michael, is Turnbulls cab franc significantly superior to their estate grown cab sauv? I find it to be one of those "please everyone, impress no one" type of wines.

[MICHAEL C R O M W E L L]

Here are some suggestions

Less than $100
Chappellet
Amizetta
Turnbull

Michael, is Turnbulls cab franc significantly superior to their estate grown cab sauv? I find it to be one of those "please everyone, impress no one" type of wines.

I think the Turnbull CS wines are better. But I think the Leopoldina Cab Franc is a step up over the other CFs in their stable.

I like the way you put your assessment...seems to be the house style with a lot of horses in the stable. That being said, they do make some stand out individual wines (e.g., Pierra, Black Label)

[brigcampbell]

Thanks Larry.

I love Wine Exchange!

Gives me a good reason to pay them a visit.

Call the Pavilions on Marguarite and Oso in Mission Viejo, ask for Shoene. or anyone can help.

see if they have the Virage Red which is primarily CF. Good stuff

[Tom Chen]

Thanks Brig.

I have shopped there, more for groceries than wine, but they do have a nice selection for a grocery store.

I live in Nellie Gail, so pretty close.

And, thanks all.

Lots of recs for me to filter through!

[Jeff_M.]

Thanks Brig.

I have shopped there, more for groceries than wine, but they do have a nice selection for a grocery store.

I live in Nellie Gail, so pretty close.

And, thanks all.

Lots of recs for me to filter through!

Not sure if they still have the library open but during the summer Pride was selling older vintages of their CF to customers.

[G. Bienstock]

From Red Mountain in Washington, I like Terra Blanca. A blend of two Cabernet Franc clones. Blueberry and raspberry with a hint of Earth.

[NED VALOIS]

Kapcsandy
2017 RAPSZODIA
APPELLATION Yountville, Napa Valley
BARREL AGE 20 months in 100% new French oak
BLEND 100% Cabernet Franc
ALCOHOL 14.2%

[Ken Zinns]

If you like a lighter style Cab Franc that is delicious and so easy to drink, try RYME Cab Franc. The 2018 is the current vintage and it is excellent. Added bonus is lower alcohol and only old barrels used.

Will post a recent note later.

Here is my note from earlier this year. No need to spend anywhere near $100.00, the 2018 RYME Cab Franc is $35.00 direct from the winery.

2018 Ryme Cabernet Franc Alegria Vineyard: The wine was fermented in two separate lots. One was a whole cluster fermentation in a tank and pressed gently by foot once a day to keep the top fresh and release some juice. This results in a partial carbonic fermentation. The other lot was whole cluster into clay amphora. Both fermentations were pressed separately to neutral oak barrels and blended prior to bottling.
Bright fresh cherry, crushed black pepper, green herbs, basil and cedar. Very good acidity and some grippy tannins on the finish. Year after year the Ryme Cab Franc is a favorite of ours. Very versatile with food. 12.5 ABV.

Tom

Good recommendation, Tom, and I've loved just about every Cab Franc that's come from Alegría Vineyard in RRV. Frankly, I think most of the wines posted in this thread - at least those that I'm somewhat familiar with - are on the bigger, Cabernet Sauvignon-like end of the Cab Franc spectrum. Probably 80-90% of California Cab Franc falls into that category. I did a blind tasting a few years ago of lighter, Loire Valley-inspired California Cab Franc bottlings (along with some French ringers), and can recommend some others.

I'd say my favorites of the tasting were:
Broc (from Santa Barbara County fruit)
Tessier (past vintages from Alegría Vineyard fruit, now from El Dorado County)
Lo-Fi (from Santa Barbara County fruit)
Babame (from El Dorado County fruit, made by Steve Edmunds)

Others a notch below but still good:
Methode Sauvage (from Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz County)
Prima Materia (from Lake County)
Krater (from El Dorado County)

We also had one from Bailiwick but they're no longer in business.

As with the Ryme Cab Franc, I don't think any of these were even approaching $50 - I'd guess all were $35 or less. I think the higher the price, the more Cabernet Sauvignon-like the wine is likely to be.

The tasting was to help prepare for our first Cab Franc at Harrington Wines in 2017. Unfortunately Bryan Harrington decided to close up shop after the 2018 vintage, and although I like the Cab Franc wines we made there, I felt like we were just starting to get a handle on the fruit sources and what were the best ways of dealing with the fruit from them.

Tom - at our Cab Franc tasting we had a starting course of Vermentino, featuring Ryme of course!

[Tom DeBiase]

If you like a lighter style Cab Franc that is delicious and so easy to drink, try RYME Cab Franc. The 2018 is the current vintage and it is excellent. Added bonus is lower alcohol and only old barrels used.

Will post a recent note later.

Here is my note from earlier this year. No need to spend anywhere near $100.00, the 2018 RYME Cab Franc is $35.00 direct from the winery.

2018 Ryme Cabernet Franc Alegria Vineyard: The wine was fermented in two separate lots. One was a whole cluster fermentation in a tank and pressed gently by foot once a day to keep the top fresh and release some juice. This results in a partial carbonic fermentation. The other lot was whole cluster into clay amphora. Both fermentations were pressed separately to neutral oak barrels and blended prior to bottling.
Bright fresh cherry, crushed black pepper, green herbs, basil and cedar. Very good acidity and some grippy tannins on the finish. Year after year the Ryme Cab Franc is a favorite of ours. Very versatile with food. 12.5 ABV.

Tom

Good recommendation, Tom, and I've loved just about every Cab Franc that's come from Alegría Vineyard in RRV. Frankly, I think most of the wines posted in this thread - at least those that I'm somewhat familiar with - are on the bigger, Cabernet Sauvignon-like end of the Cab Franc spectrum. Probably 80-90% of California Cab Franc falls into that category. I did a blind tasting a few years ago of lighter, Loire Valley-inspired California Cab Franc bottlings (along with some French ringers), and can recommend some others.

I'd say my favorites of the tasting were:
Broc (from Santa Barbara County fruit)
Tessier (past vintages from Alegría Vineyard fruit, now from El Dorado County)
Lo-Fi (from Santa Barbara County fruit)
Babame (from El Dorado County fruit, made by Steve Edmunds)

Others a notch below but still good:
Methode Sauvage (from Bates Ranch, Santa Cruz County)
Prima Materia (from Lake County)
Krater (from El Dorado County)

We also had one from Bailiwick but they're no longer in business.

As with the Ryme Cab Franc, I don't think any of these were even approaching $50 - I'd guess all were $35 or less. I think the higher the price, the more Cabernet Sauvignon-like the wine is likely to be.

The tasting was to help prepare for our first Cab Franc at Harrington Wines in 2017. Unfortunately Bryan Harrington decided to close up shop after the 2018 vintage, and although I like the Cab Franc wines we made there, I felt like we were just starting to get a handle on the fruit sources and what were the best ways of dealing with the fruit from them.


cab franc tasting 3.jpg
cab franc tasting 4.jpg


Tom - at our Cab Franc tasting we had a starting course of Vermentino, featuring Ryme of course!


cab franc tasting 5.jpg

Hey Ken, I remember that tasting you did and wrote down a few of your recommendations. Thanks for the reminder. Fully agree that as the cost of CF goes up it’s likely to take on much more CS character.

And that RYME Vermentino is also an annual buy for us.

Tom

[Brent S]

Trivia-Cabernet Franc is the most expensive grape per pound grown in Napa Valley.

[Ed Steinway]

+1 on La Jota and Pride. Also, if you like the style of La Jota then you will probably enjoy Mt. Brave. It is a little less expensive than La Jota but made in a similar style, with Chris Carpenter as the winemaker.

Ed

[TimF]

Is there a particular reason you’re focusing on California Cab Franc? My wife is a huge fan of Cab Franc. We have a bottle at least once a week but it’s usually from the Loire Valley, it’s usually $15 and generally delicious.

[Wes Barton]

I. Brand (Bates Ranch)
Tessier
Broc

[Bruce Rudman]

A few years back I tasted with Trespass. Best California Cab. Franc I had ever had. Realm Falstaff is also very good but there was something about Trespass that was quite compelling.

[Tom Chen]

Is there a particular reason you’re focusing on California Cab Franc? My wife is a huge fan of Cab Franc. We have a bottle at least once a week but it’s usually from the Loire Valley, it’s usually $15 and generally delicious.

Mainly because my wife likes CA reds much more than Old World wines. I may try a Chinon for comparison as suggested earlier in this thread.

Figured I'd start with CA Cab Franc and then venture out to other regions if it is a varietal we like.

[TimF]

Is there a particular reason you’re focusing on California Cab Franc? My wife is a huge fan of Cab Franc. We have a bottle at least once a week but it’s usually from the Loire Valley, it’s usually $15 and generally delicious.

Mainly because my wife likes CA reds much more than Old World wines. I may try a Chinon for comparison as suggested earlier in this thread.

Figured I'd start with CA Cab Franc and then venture out to other regions if it is a varietal we like.

Fair enough. If you’re used to CA wines, the Loire could be a bit of a disappointment.

Give Larry’s (Tercero) 2016 Cab Franc a shot. I just got a shipment of them today.

[Philip G]

On the top end if you want to treat your wife sometime, B Cellars does a Dr Crane Cab Franc and Tor does a To Kalon. These are 98+ $200 type wines and limited quantities.

[Chris Seiber]

If you like a lighter style Cab Franc that is delicious and so easy to drink, try RYME Cab Franc. The 2018 is the current vintage and it is excellent. Added bonus is lower alcohol and only old barrels used.

Will post a recent note later.

Tom

Because (1) I love cab franc and (2) I'm a hopeless Wine Berserker with no control of his spending impulses, I went ahead and ordered three bottles of RYME. Looking forward to trying them. Thanks for the rec.

[mattcitrang]

If you like a lighter style Cab Franc that is delicious and so easy to drink, try RYME Cab Franc. The 2018 is the current vintage and it is excellent. Added bonus is lower alcohol and only old barrels used.

Will post a recent note later.

Tom

Because (1) I love cab franc and (2) I'm a hopeless Wine Berserker with no control of his spending impulses, I went ahead and ordered three bottles of RYME. Looking forward to trying them. Thanks for the rec.

Have you looked at any of these de Negoce cab francs?

[Tom DeBiase]

If you like a lighter style Cab Franc that is delicious and so easy to drink, try RYME Cab Franc. The 2018 is the current vintage and it is excellent. Added bonus is lower alcohol and only old barrels used.

Will post a recent note later.

Tom

Because (1) I love cab franc and (2) I'm a hopeless Wine Berserker with no control of his spending impulses, I went ahead and ordered three bottles of RYME. Looking forward to trying them. Thanks for the rec.

Chris, let me know what you think. If you like a fresh lively style without oak influence, you will like RYME CF. Very different than most Napa CF (Not that that style is bad)

Tom

[M. Meer]

There are at least 4 CFs with fruit from Alegria (RYME, Method Sauvage, Tessier, and Acorn). That could be fun to try.

[Ken Zinns]

There are at least 4 CFs with fruit from Alegria (RYME, Method Sauvage, Tessier, and Acorn). That could be fun to try.

Older Bailiwick CF too. They closed up shop 2-3 years ago but you might still be able to find some. Their 2010 was a particular favorite.

Ryme is very good, though Tessier may be my favorite of those I’ve tried. The Cab Franc from this relatively cool location for the variety often lends a jalapeño note to the wines, which I enjoy.

[Vince T]

The one time Larry Schaffer made his 2016 Tercero aberration from Cab Franc, it was insanely good.

Tom, if you are exploring cab franc and haven't had them from the Loire, it's worthwhile to see the comparison. It's a different style than most CA CFs, but one huge difference is that you can get outstanding wines <$25 and even many of the top wines are <$50. There are numerous threads here about Loire Reds about which wines to go for.

[Tom DeBiase]

The one time Larry Schaffer made his 2016 Tercero aberration from Cab Franc, it was insanely good.

Tom, if you are exploring cab franc and haven't had them from the Loire, it's worthwhile to see the comparison. It's a different style than most CA CFs, but one huge difference is that you can get outstanding wines <$25 and even many of the top wines are <$50. There are numerous threads here about Loire Reds about which wines to go for.

Thanks Vince, I love Loire CF, drink them often and for sure their value vs California CF is far superior. Since we moved out to Sonoma County in 2013 we have become a part of the wine scene here. Not only sampling and drinking the wine but also meeting, conversing and enjoying the company of the people involved with wine here. It's been great and we have barely scratched the surface of what's going on here.

Tom

[Marlon F]

Pride & Chappellet are my two main go to's for CF in Napa Valley. I just started buying Detert based on recommendations here. I like Ehlers Estate CF as well but am not a buyer of it annually.

I have had very nicely aged Pride and Chappellet CF and would recommend them very highly.

I had a 2012 Pride and it was really good

[Marek Hnatyk]

Totally out of your budget ( 100 USD) but Dalla Valle Maya (current vintages only 30% of Cabernet Franc in final blend) should be the finest wine which includes Cabernet Franc in Northern California

[Tom Chen]

Definitely book marking this thread, as so many great suggestions. Thanks to all!

Like Chris, , I bought 3 bottles of the RYME (thanks Tom for the rec!).

Recs at so many different price points.

Want to start on the low end and build up if the grape is something we like.

Marek, I have a 2013 Maya resting away.

[Marek Hnatyk]

Marek, I have a 2013 Maya resting away.

Lucky you...

[M. Meer]

The Cab Franc from this relatively cool location for the variety often lends a jalapeño note to the wines, which I enjoy.

Definitely tasty in its own right. Thanks for the recs!