TNs: blind U.S. cabernet franc tasting

WINE TALK
1

last night, friends celebrated bruce hubbard’s re-building of his home and his wine cellar from the 2007 san diego wildfires. check out the current Wine Spectator (“Buyer’s Market”) to read about his experience in the “Private Cellars” column.

bruce & karen provided great pairings for a blind tasting of domestic Cabernet Franc:


wine #1 – in absentia

wine #2 – bordeaux nose of herbs & olives, big acid and tannins, some blue fruit with a short finish. 2002 Pride

wine #3 – fruitier, red plums & cherries, medium-bodied with some oak present. longer finish with some pez candy at the end. 2007 Pride



wine #4 – menthol nose with open signs of age, good structure, similar to wine #7 without the acid. long finish, nice with food. 1998 Maya proprietary red

wine #5 – back to herbs with some older notes of cedar and purple berries. 2006 Vineyard 29

wine #6 – oaky and tannic with younger notes of cherries and chocolate. 2005 Larkin



wine #7 – earthy nose with big structure and nice texture across the mouth, big acid on the finish, improved over an hour. 2004 La Jota

wine #8 – a divisive flavor profile split the table. great smells of candy corn, iodine & dark chocolate… unfortunately, it did not jive with food. new worlders loved this 2007 Hourglass Blueline.

wine #9 – darkest and youngest-looking and tasting, dry and balanced, but uninspiring in this flight… the finish fell off quickly. 2005 Jonata El Alma (brian pls confirm?)


first place: 2007 Hourglass Blueline
second place: 1998 Maya red blend
third place: 2007 Pride


bonus wines:

1996 Pahlmeyer merlot (1.5L) – great balance with spritely acid for a 96, could go a few more years. fresh with saddle leather and olives, complexity with cedar and spice, soft tannins. wonderful.

1979 Inglenook cabernet sauvignon – nose of mimeograph print shop, deep licorice, forest, fennel & spilled grappa, sour cherry, molasses, potpourri, & wet stray cat on the long finish. a unique and curious experience.

2005 Jorge Ordonez #3 old vines moscatel – from Malaga, Andalucia… apricot syrup, lemon oil, craft shop and essential oils. wonderful thick texture and complexity. spain? really?? vino maravilloso!

looking forward to bruce’s wood-fired pizza party he will be holding this summer. i’m sure bruce remembers committing to this… [stirthepothal.gif]

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What a fantastic idea for a tasting. I’m a fan of Cab Franc, and quite a fan of U.S. Cab Franc in particular - it’s completely different from the French version, but enjoyable for a whole new set of reasons.

Nice notes.

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By “U.S. Cab Franc” do you mean Cali or other renditions from cold climates?

A.

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I was on the wait list for this and from what I hear someone ‘accidently’ made room for me without calling. neener

My Joguet would have stood out like a sore thumb in that lineup…in the best of ways. [wink.gif]