Rating our Re-buy of Artesa Cab Franc

Jeff enjoying Artesa Cabernet Franc at TerraWe've posted a few times lately about having different tasting experiences the second time we drank the same wine (see "Wattle Creek Malbec - an Enigma," "Why You Should Always Buy Two Bottles," and "Every Bottle Can't be a Winner". Last night, we opened a bottle of 2005 Artesa Cabernet Franc (Alexander Valley, Limited Release) that we had purchased after sharing our first two bottles with Jeff's parents. This time, we were enjoying the wine for a second time two years later.

The verdict is in (drumroll please)...

It's still very, very good.

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know we are huge Cabernet Franc fans (see our recent post, "Cabernet Franc - tasty all on its own). Even for a favored varietal, Artesa's 2005 Cabernet Franc really stands out. It has a subtle smell of herbs and cocoa and has a dark fruit taste that reminded us of dark fruit like black currant. The wine was silky smooth with nicely concentrated flavors and a little hint of alcohol on the finish. This flavor combo paired well with Jeff's flank steak and summer vegetables and Sally's bistro burger and fries at Terra. 

The wine is 81% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Merlot with all the grapes coming from Alexander Valley (read the winemaker's notes here).

Cabernet Franc ~ tasty all on its own

Cabernet Franc is one of the most planted wine grapes in the world and is a key ingredient in many of the world’s best blended wines, but it is far less famous than other red wine varieties. Because Cab Franc is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, the two grapes have a lot of similarities, but there are some key differences.  Cab Franc has lighter pigments, stronger aromas, lighter tannins and lower acidity. When blended, it is these characteristics that take a harsh edge off of stronger wines.

While great when blended, with the right conditions (and winemaker) Cab Franc is a tasty guy all on his own.  Maybe it is the appreciation for what it takes to produce a great bottle of Cab Franc or just the hunt to find one, Cab Franc is one of my top favorite varietals.  Fortunately, on our recent trips to Santa Ynez and Napa Valley, we were lucky to taste quite a few!

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

Foxen 7200  2009 Cabernet Franc – Rock Hollow Vineyard

100 % Cab Franc ~ Great deep berry taste at first sip, and stays throughout, heavier tannins and a light spicy finish.  While drinkable now, the heavy tannins indicate it will age quite nicely as well. Retail $42

Gainey Vineyards  2008 Limited Selection Cabernet Franc

75% Cab Franc, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot ~ the nose has distinct notes of elderberry and herbs, bright red fruits throughout and the Merlot brings a musty finish to the party, tannins present but buried on the back end. Retail $42

Rusack 2008 Anacapa, Santa Barbara County

82% Cab Franc, 16% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot ~ the nose has classic herbaceous qualities, flavors of raspberry and plum, solid tannins with a great spice finish.  The 2008 is low in quantity, but the ’09 is waiting in the wings for release – and hear it is equally as tasty, if not better! Retail $40

NAPA VALLEY REGION

Peju Winery  Cabernet Franc

Peju is known for their Cab Francs, consistently producing great ones year after year.  We had the opportunity to taste the ’05, ’09 and ’08 Reserve. The ’05 has classic pencil box smell, great mid-palate berry flavors, lighter tannins and more delicate.  The ’09 is blended with 12% Cab Sav, has a terrific herbaceous nose, bright red fruits and great tannins (will benefit from aging).  The ’08 Reserve received our prestigious ‘pfg’ rating (will let you figure that one out), well-structured wine, velvety palate, with tastes of black currants, dark cherries, and toasted wood with subtle hints of vanilla. ’05 and ’09 Retail $50, ’08 Reserve Retail $115

Miner Family Winery 2008 Napa Valley

100% Cab Franc ~ perfect herbaceous nose, bold plum and dark cherry flavors throughout the palate with heavy tannins.  Drink now along with a big, juicy grilled steak or age and let it mellow out a little.  This wine was also awarded our ‘pfg’ ranking, and double smiley faces! Retail $50

Clos Pegase Winery  2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc

100% Cab Franc ~ earthy nose, notes of cherries and currants, medium weight on the palate with a cocoa finish.  This is a well-balanced wine that would pair well with strong flavored cheese. Retail $28.50

Kuleto Estate  2008 Cabernet Franc

100% Cab Franc ~ smells like a vegetable garden, brighter fruits sitting forward on the palate, and heavier tannin finish for a cab franc.  When paired with strong cheese, the tannins mellowed allowing for the fruit to stand out more.  Definitely better with food. Retail $60

Wondering what to pair with a Cab Franc?  Enjoy it with roasted or grilled meat, lamb, duck or pork, and roasted vegetables, especially eggplant.  It will stand up to spicier dishes as well ~ add some Cajon spice to that steak, slice some eggplant and zucchini and grill away!

Santa Ynez Valley Wine Adventure

Last June we made our first trip to the Santa Ynez Valley as part of our California Wine Adventure.  We only had a half day to explore the region, so we knew a return trip was a must. This weekend, we made finally made it back, extending our time and travelling with family (Jeff’s parents, Kathy & Bob) ~ both making it an even better trip than the last!    

In planning our adventure, each couple chose three wineries to visit. Selections were based on recommendations from friends, wines that had been tried before and wanted to learn more about, as well as old favorites.  This gave us a wide variety of wines, and tasting experiences ~ here’s a recap of our discoveries:

Firestone Winery

We opted for the reserve flight, which included a tasting of 6 wines, and one bonus pour.  They served a mix of white and reds, all from their reserve and Chairman Series. The tasting room has great views of the valley. Overall, the wines had muted flavors and heavy tannins, and were generally not to our liking.  But, we were glad we gave it a try. 

Andrew Murray

We first discovered their tasting room in Los Olivos on our first trip.  We enjoyed the experience and the wine so much that we wanted to introduce it to Kathy & Bob.  Once again, the crew, and wine, at Andrew Murray did not disappoint!  We had a wonderful time with Stephanie and Tracy, tasting wines from the Eleven series, as well as a number of their great Syrah wines produced under the Andrew Murray label.  We all left with smiles on our faces (and purple teeth)!

Gainey Vineyard

This winery was a recommendation of our friends, Sarah and David.  The winery grounds were beautiful, and the tasting room setting was great ~ located just off the barrel room, and among walls of strategically placed bottles.  The atmosphere added to the fun, and all the wines we tasted were really good.  Drew navigated us through a couple of whites, and select reds for the Gainey Vineyard and Even’s Ranch.  I was excited to see a Cab Franc!

Cambria

Located in the Santa Maria Bench, Cambria specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  During our visit, we tasted a number of their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, as well as a Pinot Gris, Syrah, and a Late Harvest Viognier.  All wines were quite good, but with their slightly higher than average prices, we left empty handed.  A number of the wines are well distributed, and we will keep an eye out for special deals in our local wine shops. 

Foxen – Foxen 7200

This was a unique experience, as they have two wine tasting rooms ~ Foxen is served at a more modern tasting room located just slightly up the road from the original shack where they serve up Foxen 7200.  We sampled several great Pinot Noirs, a tasty Sangiovese, and another excellent Cab Franc!

Zaca Mesa

This tasting room was more commercial than the others, bringing in higher crowds than the others we had visited on the trip.  With that said, the staff was very helpful in securing us a spot, and were very attentive during the tasting.  We had the chance to sip a few different varieties than we had been tasting around the valley, including a granache, a roussanne, and several tasty syrahs.  All the wines would be great with food, but few stood out to enjoy on their own.

Rusack

Even with the heavy clouds and rain rolling in, the views from the winery were still stunning.  The wines had big flavors, and were quite enjoyable.  A number of them are distributed at BevMo and our favorite wine shop, San Diego Wine Company.  We still walked out with a couple of bottles of ones with limited distribution or hard to find. 

Wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley are producing some tasty treats!  If you come across one, especially Pinot Noir or Syrah, give it a try!

"Table wine" doesn't mean bad wine

Don't let the term "table wine" fool you.

Sure, some people think of cheap, mass-produced wine that any self-respecting wine snob would avoid. For us, table wine is often tasty, versatile wine that pairs well with a wide variety of food. Wines that are marketed specifically as "table wine" or simply "white wine" or "red wine" tend to be blends of several grapes that the winemaker has selected for balance and flavor.

Here are three table wines that we always like to have in the house.

Menage a Trois California Red
We always have a few bottles of this in the house because it is inexpensive, goes with almost anything, and is damn good for the price. It's a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot that is very smooth and drinkable. Did I mention the price? We get ours at the San Diego Wine Company for $6.99 a bottle, but you can also get it at BevMo, Specs, and many other fine liquor stores for a buck or two more.

One word to the wise - this isn't a great bottle to bring over to someone's house. Especially if you are a couple and they are single. People always seem to get the wrong idea.

Lined up and ready for Tuesday's dinner or "third bottle" duty.

Conundrum California White Wine
The name implies it is a conundrum to decide when and how to drink it. It is silky smooth with a little bit of sweetness that is mighty tasty. We've had it before dinner, after dinner, and with all sorts of white wine friendly food. There's a lot going on here with Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay, Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier making up the blend, but it all works. A not so secret secret is Conundrum is a side project of Caymus, a winery famous for big, expensive reds.

We get ours at the San Diego Wine Company for $16.95 per bottle. If you aren't in San Diego, you may want to order directly from Conundrum.

A bottle of Conundrum sits in our fridge, ready to go at a moment's notice

Vincent Arroyo "Nameless"
This table wine is a special treat, both because of its $30 price point and its awesome taste. It's a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. It's fairly fruit forward, which makes it stand out on its own or pair well with a variety of foods, but has just enough tannin to stand up to your meatier dishes. We shared a bottle with our parents last weekend in memory of Sally's father, Ken. Very tasty.

Vincent Arroyo sells a lot of their wine via futures, meaning you buy it before it's bottled, but Nameless is typically in stock and ready to go. I don't think it is distributed, so best to go straight to the winery.

That bottle of Nameless evaporated!What's your favorite table wine?

Markham Cab Franc '05

It's rare to find a California winery that makes a 100% cabernet franc wine, and even more rare to find one who can make it well. But when they do, it's a favorite.

A few years ago, while on a trip to Napa, we popped in to one of our favorites, Markham Vineyard to pick up a bottle of their outstanding Zinfandel. Unfortunately, they were out. We were convinced (ok, didn't have to try hard) to have a taste of their new Cabernet Franc, and boy were we glad, we took a bottle home!

Last night, we finally gave in and opened that 2005 Markham Cab Franc, and it was well worth the wait! The Cabernet Franc grape is the lesser-known parent to the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. It carries the same bold taste as a Cab Sav, but lighter on the tannins, making it drinkable with a variety of foods, or no food at all! We enjoyed this bottle while dining at one of our favorite spots in Hillcrest, Terra. It paired well with both our meals - a hearty pot roast, and flavorful flank steak.

If you enjoy a big red, and haven't given Cab Franc a try, pick up a bottle - you may be surprised! In addition to Markham, here are other wineries that have produced a great Cab Franc: Peju, Artesa, and Kaz.

Enjoy!