2020 Cabernet Franc, Heringer Vineyard

History

At Dashe Cellars, we have always loved Cabernet Franc wines, especially those of the Loire Valley in France. Wines from Chinon, Saumur, Touraine, and Bourgueil have always found a place at our table, and since the Loire Valley is not far from Anne Dashe’s hometown in Brittany, it’s always been our goal to make a domestic Cabernet Franc with the lovely texture, pure fruit, and spice that make this varietal so beautiful to drink by itself or with a wide range of foods. We found a perfect location at the Heringer Vineyard in Clarksburg, with the cold nights and warm days reminiscent of the Loire Valley climate. These vines produced a Cabernet Franc with all the character and velvety mouthfeel we wanted, but with an added fruit component reflective of the perfect Californian weather. Serve slightly chilled to highlight the delicate fruit. 

Production

The 2020 vintage was a doozy. Fires, smoke, unusual weather--it was a nightmare in most wine regions. But luckily, Clarksburg was largely spared smoke damage by winds that swept in from San Francisco Bay and kept the smoke away.
We harvested the Cabernet Franc as early as we could, and it escaped any smoke exposure. We hand-sorted the grapes on the way to the destemmer to eliminate any imperfect fruit. The crushed grapes were then fermented using only the natural yeast population on the surface of the grapes to conduct the fermentation. At dryness, the wine was gently pressed in a membrane press and pumped into traditional 60-gallon oak barrels. The wine was aged for 18 months in 85% neutral French oak barrels
to maintain the vibrancy of the fruit.

65 cases produced.

Tasting Notes