Firstly, another great tasting - fascinating stuff - why am I not surprised?!
Glad that the Crescendo 01 is still firing on all cylinders! It’s my benchmark Crescendo, along with the 97. The 02 and 04 are good too, but not at the same level. Anything younger is to be wary of, sadly. You don’t mention the price, but I’m guessing it wasn’t too expensive - they never are, thanks to the Couly reputation today, and represent incredible value.
Ive always said Raats makes the best CF outside of Loire. And for this very reason that Otto notes.
Now that said, do not get their so-called luxury cuvee, the Mvemve Raats de Compostella, because then you get that exact thing that Otto is railing against. And he is right. Save money, get the good stuff! Even the cheap Red Jasper is lovely, as is their sub-$15 unoaked Chenin Blanc, a delish easy quaffer.
This feels appropriate
Wiemer’s Magdalena Vineyard is nice. Also, maybe especially given the price, Forge Willow.
I have no idea about the price, since it wasn’t mentioned during the tasting. However, I remember paying just 22€ for the 2005 vintage!
Otto,
The store I work at sells, the El Enemigo, and I have to agree with your. Rather blah in my opinion for entry level Cab Franc.
We also sell the Chacayes, El Cepillo, and the Agrelo single vineyard but I have yet to taste those
Cheap basic SA Chenin Blanc has to be one of the top value deals these days. Even Tete de Lion , $13 Can, including the huge Ontario taxes so that’s probably $4.25 in the US, , is very drinkable. An as Robert says producers like Raats, Mullineux etc have pretty goid juice around $20 Can.
It’s amazing how different palates can be. The shit talking on gran Enemigo is impressive to me. 2021 El Cepillo was my wine of the year. Scores and impressions are completely subjective. People are free to like what they like. The hardest part of wine drinking is learning what you like and who has similar tastes that you can listen to. Funny though, I never had their entry cab franc and that’s on me.
I totally agree with you here, Wes. I don’t want any wine to just be big and ripe with nothing else going on. It’s funny that people love wines like '74 Heitz Martha’s, which is amazing, but definitely had some herbal notes that Cab Sauv should have, yet no one wants to make wines like that anymore.
Eminence Road Winery in the Finger Lakes makes great Cab Franc. Also great Pinot Noir.
Well this thread has given me the motivation to do a blind tasting with a bunch of sucky New World CF (along with a couple of Chinon’s). Bet the new world oaky shit wins!
I’m with you there - I think the single vineyard Gran Enemigo wines are great. I am less a fan of the Gran Enemigo blend and the entry level el enemigo wines, though.
David IIRC you were not a fan of Baudry ( I haven’t tasted the Enemigo), it make sense that you’re on the opposite end of the spectra from others here. More of the stuff you like for yourself, same for the others of course. You never know how your palate might change over time - healthy to challenge own assumptions every now and then with an open mind.
This is the internet, sir! We will just blast out our opinions with righteous certainty and that will be the end of it.
I’m not a fan of Brett. I could taste the underlying fruit was great. I think that’s just a function of the luck of the bottles I’ve had and my own sensitivity to that scent/taste. There’s only so many times you can spend $50+ on a bottle of wine and say…that was abysmal…and do it again.
Nathan. K is another example of very good FL cabernet franc.
That’s fine, you have a higher sensitivity to brett (I’m a bit less sensitive). Based on Otto’s notes it wouldn’t be what I’m looking for in a CF, even if it would be a well made wine.
I had a glass of Alexander Valley Vineyards CF this week in a restaurant.
Nice CF fruit without green. Very enjoyable with elk tenderloin.
One of the most objectionable wines of the last few years was a Napa cab franc. But when I called it out, I got in trouble, so I will only allude to it.
Oh - there should have been a Quinterelli Alzero!
What a horrible tasting.