A medium-bodied beauty that displays the relative restraint of Cabernet with a last name of “Franc” rather than “Sauvignon,” this is still a flavorful and deeply satisfying wine that shows the richness and generosity one expects from California. The bouquet offers a rather showy topnote of vanillin oak, but not so much that one can’t also pick up a whiff of Cab Franc’s leafy aromatic signature. The oak is a bit less assertive on the palate and through the finish, but this will still be even better with a few years of additional aging to enable further integration. But make no mistake — it is already delicious and a solid value at this price.
Oak Farm, Lodi (California) Cabernet Franc 2020
By Michael Franz