93 Points
2015 Calistoga Cabernet Franc

Regional Exclusive

2015 Provenance Vineyards Cabernet Franc

Vintage 2015
Wine Type Red
Region Napa Valley
Winemaker Trevor Durling

This limited bottling offers the opportunity to discover the intriguing personality of Cabernet Franc, which is a variety often used in blending Bordeaux-style wines. We sourced Cabernet Franc from the Tamagni Vineyard on the northeast side of Napa Valley, just south of Calistoga. The 2015 vintage was high quality with Bordeaux varietals looking outstanding. In its youth, this wine will benefit from the decanting prior to serving. 

93 Points, Wine Advocate

“Blended of 93% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 22 months in 50% new French oak, the 2015 Cabernet Franc Calistoga is deep garnet-purple colored and leaps from the glass with bold red currant jelly, black raspberries and potpourri scents with hints of pencil shavings, chargrill and tar. The palate is full-bodied with a firm backbone of grainy tannins and lovely freshness with loads of earthy accents, finishing perfumed.” - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, October 29, 2018

Tasting Notes

This limited bottling offers the opportunity to discover the intriguing personality of Cabernet Franc, which is a variety often used in blending Bordeaux-style wines. Our 2015 Cabernet Franc is lush and rich with expressive boysenberry and black cherry aromas. Subtle hints of nutmeg spice, fresh espresso and a savory tanned leather and bay leaf note add additional layers of complexity on the nose. The full-bodied palate showcases the perfectly ripened fruit balanced by fine grained tannins and bright acidity. The wine offers a silky, rich texture that lingers on the deliciously long finish. The refined tannins, a signature of the Calistoga appellation, have just the right amount of “grip” and are incredibly well-integrated to the overall texture of the wine. Cabernet Franc can be difficult to find in the Napa Valley and this 2015 Provenance bottling is a fine example.

Winemaking Notes

After hand harvesting the fruit and then hand sorting it twice at the winery, we gently destemmed the grapes to retain at least 60 percent whole berries. Three days of cold soaking before fermentation gently extracted the deep purple color and rich varietal flavors from the skins. Following fermentation, extended skin contact and gentle pressing, the wine completed malolactic fermentation in barrels to round out the acidity. Barrel aging married the rich Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon fruit flavors with toasty oak tones.

Vineyard Notes

Exceptional Cabernet Franc grapes from Tamagni Vineyard, which is located along the Silverado Trail just south of Calistoga, were the catalyst for our decision to make this special bottling. Cabernet Franc is often used to enhance the framework of Bordeaux-style wines, but this warm vineyard site, with its well-draining, low-vigor, rock-and-clay soils, yields a wine with all the elements to shine as the primary grape variety. A small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, from Wildwood Vineyard in Rutherford, completes this wine’s myriad of flavors.

Vintage Notes

Excellent conditions throughout the growing season led to a slightly early harvest for vintage 2015. With very good quality across the board for whites and reds, the Bordeaux varietals especially look strong for this vintage. A cooler than normal late spring during flowering kept yields down as did the effects from California’s continued drought. Despite this and a warm weather snap in early summer, the overall season was smooth and uneventful. Harvest started early and the grapes developed beautiful flavor and concentrated color, resulting in and overall outstanding vintage. 

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