Lovely garnet color. In the nose, raspberry jam, cranberries,
and a touch of cloves and white pepper. The wine has as bright
mouth-feel with cherries, raspberries, brown spices and the inherent
briar that distinguishes Cabernet Franc. The finish lingers pleasantly.
A wonderfully versatile wine that pairs nicely with a wide range
of foods, including poultry, pork, lamb, and even some beef entrees!
The Vintage
With a warmer than normal February, bud break came early, in
the first week of March. Two weeks later, the 20% lighter than
normal rains ended. May and June were warmer than normal, giving
the vines a good start. After that, the growing season was long,
dry and mild, with only a few brief heat spikes moderated by the
cool climate. Thus, the vintage has fully ripened flavors. Tannins
are highly extractable and color is intense. Potentially a great
vintage.
Fermentation and Aging
The grapes were picked by hand in multiple lots, destemmed, and
fermented in small lots with hand punch down four times a day.
After pressing, the wine went through malolactic fermentation
and 11 months of barrel aging. 367 cases were bottled in August
2003.
The Vineyard
Our five acres of Cabernet Franc vines date back to the original
stock brought to our “Chaine d’Or” region by
French settler and grape expert Pierre C. Pourroy around the turn
of the century. The Pourroy property became Congress Springs
Winery, as it was known until recent changes of ownership.
Our vines were planted in 1985 with cuttings from Congress Springs
on west-facing slopes at the western edge of our property.
