These past few years we’ve been particularly fascinated by the beautifully rustic, simple, and very drinkable red wines of Chinon, France, in the heart of the Loire Valley. Reds there are primarily made from Cabernet Franc, or Breton as the grape is called locally. Unlike in Bordeaux however, where Cabernet Franc provides an accent to a full-bodied wine, these wines show off Cabernet Franc as medium bodied and the star of the show. Found in a soft-shouldered bottle, they are generally sumptuous and ready to drink, with red and black fruit forward notes and a nice amount of spice and grip on the finish. In 2014 we found what we thought would make a great match for this style at the Los Amigos Vineyard south of Healdsburg, California, in the warm northeastern area of Sonoma County’s Russian River AVA. With the warmth and sun, we anticipated no problems in ripening the fruit. With a properly trained canopy we hoped to avoid the overwhelmingly green, “pyrazine” notes sometimes associated with unripe Cabernet Franc — yielding instead fruit with an intriguing herbal spice. With ripening done right in […]
Please join us and 100 other small-production artisanal Pinot Noir producers at the 2015 Pinot on the River Festival, held Sunday, October 25, 2015 on the Healdsburg Plaza in spectacular downtown Healdsburg in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, featuring a full day of tastings from some of California’s best Pinot producers. Pinot On The River begins at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct 25 when VIP ticket holders can enter the Grand Tasting ahead of the general public. Noon entries are also available for the Grand Tasting on the Healdsburg Plaza. Event ends at 4PM.
