Although words like "reserve" and "small lot selection" don’t have any legal meaning on a California wine label, this bottling strikes me as representing these words well. Winemakers often land on a particular barrel or two that exhibit such character that they feel justified in separating them from the rest of the lot to share with the rest of us. This is a fleshy, full throttle example that delivers a black cherry bomb vibe that adds nice oak toast and spice and very faint herbs for complexity. A little bottle aging will soften the tannins a bit and more fully integrate the flavors, but if you like ’em big, you can dive in right now. A Platinum Award winner at the 2015 San Diego International Wine Competition.
Villa San Juliette, Paso Robles (California) Cabernet Franc 2012
By Rich Cook