2015 Merryvale Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 1.5L

Winemaking

We handpick in the early morning hours to preserve the freshness and skin integrity of the fruit. The grapes are carefully hand-sorted in the field and then at the winery before being gravity fed into small fermenters. Sourced from two vineyard sites, each pick is fermented separately. Native fermentation started after a 5-day cold soak and reached a peak temperature of 90°F. The wines were pumped over each day until dry, then pressed and drained to barrels where they underwent malolactic fermentation. We aged the wine for 22 months in 70% new French oak barrels. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Tasting Notes

This wine is 100% Cabernet Franc sourced from two vineyards from different areas of Napa Valley, each bringing its own personality to the blend. We have worked with Stanton Vineyard in St. Helena for a very long time and love the sweetness, and almost “chocolate-like” flavor this site produces. This vineyard is the perfect complement to the much cooler Sugarloaf Vineyard, situated southeast of Napa. A hillside vineyard, Sugarloaf provides lots of power and red fruit quality, bringing structure, fragrance and complexity to our Cabernet Franc. Very fragrant, opens with tones of licorice, coffee, toast and blackberry followed by flavors of dark chocolate, dark cherries and savory herbs. The finish is soft and velvety thanks to the beautiful and gentle tannins. This wine will evolve beautifully for 10 to 15 years.