2016 Cabernet Franc - Antonina's Vineyard

Vintage

2016 was a nearly ideal growing season in the North Coast of California. Winter and spring rains were extremely welcome after four years of drought and helped irrigate the parched soils. This was followed by a dry and relatively cool growing season that allowed the grapes to develop complex flavors while maintaining a nice acidity. Antonina's Vineyard behaved similarly to most in 2016 except that a lack of late season fog caused the grapes to ripen a bit earlier than expected. But since I regularly sampled the grapes this was not an issue and I was ready for the harvest. Once again, I joined the vineyard owners, George and Mary Lou, along with some of their friends to harvest the Cabernet Franc on September 28th.

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Winemaking

The grapes were destemmed without crushing into an open-top fermenter and then cold-soaked at 50 °F for a week until the juice reached it’s desired flavor complexity. Yeast was then added to grapes and the fermentation was finished in about two weeks. I tasted and monitored the wine daily. When the desired flavor profile was reached, the must was pressed to separate the skins and seeds and the wine was transferred into barrels and aged for 19 months in French oak barrels. The finished wine is yet another spectacular Cabernet Franc that will live up to the hefty expectations set forth by our legendary 2015 wine. It is complex, with soft beautiful tannins, incredible texture and a stunningly long finish.

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Awards​

• Gold Medal - 2020 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

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