Gainey Vineyard has long cultivated Cabernet Franc, one of the five classic red Bordeaux varieties (the others are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot), at our Home Ranch in eastern Santa Ynez Valley. Although it traditionally has been used as a blending grape in Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc also makes fine varietal wines in France’s Loire Valley and here in California, where it is grown sparingly. Because it is enhanced by its fellow red Bordeaux varieties, which enrich its texture and flavors, we typically blend our Cabernet Franc with one or more of them – usually Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot – to round out the wine’s complex, delicious flavors. It has become a Wine Club Members’ favorite!
Our Limited Selection Cabernet Franc offers delightfully fresh, layered aromas of black raspberry and blackberry fruit augmented by subtle tobacco leaf and dried herb scents. On the supple, medium-bodied palate, the wine’s juicy raspberry and blackberry flavors are married with savory toasted herb and briary spice flavors that culminate in a sumptuous, perfectly balanced finish. Aged over a year in French oak, this distinctive red wine drinks beautifully for 3-4 years from the vintage date, especially with roasted poultry, game, pork and duck dishes.
Santa Ynez, California