Thank you for the dialogue on Detert and Cabernet Franc. Ian and Alan - thank you for your input here – much appreciated.
This is a long answer to some of the questions posed.
Detert has been “under the radar” for many years. Partly due to our small production, partly due to the fact that I’ve always had full time work at other wineries. We have a small, loyal following who fortunately buy the majority of what we produce.
Alan is correct that I left my last full time job in 2013 (I had been at Revana for 10 years). At Revana I was the general manager and managing winemaker (Heidi Barrett was there from 2003-2010 and Thomas Brown began consulting 2011 to present). With those duties it was a full time + job. I made Detert at Revana so time for winemaking wasn’t an issue but getting the word out and customer service were more of a challenge. I am fortunate to now have the time to focus on Detert. I am also a partner in and winemaker for Dakota Shy (there is another thread on that…).
The Detert vineyard is an ideal site for Cabernet Franc. It is at the apex of the alluvial fan that forms To Kalon - very deep gravel soils that are low in water holding capacity and low in organic nutrients. So naturally devigorating. The Cabernet Franc was originally planted in 1949. My great-grandmother purchased the property in 1953. That 1949 planting is thought to be the earliest planting of Cabernet Franc in Napa Valley.
My grandfather sold both our Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon to Robert Mondavi (first at Charles Krug and then moved with Robert when he started Robert Mondavi winery in 1966). Robert loved the Cabernet Franc and kept convincing my grandfather to plant more. So we’ve had the unique claim-to-fame of having the oldest and largest planting of Cabernet Franc in Napa Valley.
In terms of case production, we historically have produced more Cabernet Franc than Cabernet Sauvignon. Typically about 175-200 cases of Cab Sauv and 250-300 cases of Cabernet Franc. I take all of the fruit from our 1.13 acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon. Historically Mondavi has purchased 80% of our Franc which goes into their Reserve Cab and now their To Kalon Cab. I have had 4 small sections within our two blocks of Cabernet Franc that I take for Detert. One 10-acre block (West Block) of Clone 1 Cabernet Franc and one 7 acre block (East Block) of our old-vine Detert Clone of Cabernet Franc that dates back to the original 1949 planting. We replanted the Clone 1 West block this year – which you can see in Alan’s photo. It had been in diminishing health and we were taking less and less fruit from it. For the next few years we will be just taking fruit from our old vine East Block. So, as was pointed out, we have had a handful of recent years where we made slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than Cabernet Franc.
The replant is an exciting investment in the future for us. We have a range of great clones planted and some additional Cabernet Sauvignon. We are particularly excited about the expansion our planting of the Detert clone of Cabernet Franc. We also were fortunate to get cuttings of the old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon from our MacDonald cousins. Thrilled to be working with these heritage clones.
Cabernet Franc has been getting a lot of attention from my friends and peers in Napa Valley. So more great Cabernet Francs will be emerging. One key component to this is that people now recognize that great Cabernet Franc only comes from great sites. Cabernet Franc was too often an after thought and relegated to the poorer soils in vineyards. But on mediocre soils, Cabernet Franc will be mediocre. It’s too vigorous of a vine to produce great fruit on soils that are not really well drained and low in organic matter. In the past, those best sites were reserved for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Our family was incredibly fortunate that Cabernet Franc was planted on our vineyard in 1949 - and then lucky that Robert Mondavi was there to embrace it.
There is a lot more to say but I think I’ve gone on enough.
Very happy to answer any more questions and appreciate the interest.
Thank you, Tom