2005 Cabernet Franc Lodi

In the US, cabernet franc often lives in the shadows of its heftier offspring cabernet sauvignon (co-parented by sauvignon blanc), but it has secured a full share of the spotlight in the long-celebrated wines of Bordeaux’s St. Emilion district. A winemaker’s “best friend”, cabernet franc can fully ripen in climates too cool for cabernet sauvignon. Comparing the wines, cab franc exhibits lighter colors, more aromatics, less concentration, and fewer tannins and acids. Winemaker George Troquato selects fruit from Lewis Vineyard on the banks of the Mokelumne River near Lake Camanche. This 1980 planting is situated east of Lodi at 600 feet above sea level in well-drained rocky red soils. The area is mostly dry with warm-to-hot days and cool evenings produced by regular breezes from the Sacramento River delta.

Tasting Notes

This complex wine expresses ultraripe aromas of blackberry and black currant with whiffs of dried flowers, smoke, nutmeg and clove. It has lots of black fruit up front; a mid-palate of fruit, grilled meat, vanilla, olive and dark cocoa; and a lingering finish of dark fruit, truffl e, sweet toasted oak and vanilla. The tannins are full and round, the acidity is in balance, and the texture is quite velvety. Pair with comfort foods such as minestrone with fennel and turkey sausage, prosciutto and veal saltimbucca, or root vegetable risotto.

Winemaking

• Hand harvested October 25, 2005 in the early morning cool
• Four days of cold soaking to enhance the color and aromatics
• Six days of fermentation in a five-ton, open-top stainless steel tank
• The must was punched down two-three times daily for maximum flavor extraction
• Aged for 32 months in small American oak barrels (28% new)
• Bottled unfiltered to preserve the varietal integrity

Vineyards

Lewis Vineyard
Lodi Appellation

Technical Data

Varietal Content

95% cabernet franc
5% cabernet sauvignonn

Finished Alcohol

14.5%

Total Acidity

0.65mg per 100ml
pH: 3.65

Awards

Best of Class – 2009 California State Fair

Double Gold – Best of Class - 2009 Lodi International Wine Awards

Downloads

2005 Cabernet Franc Lodi Product Sheet
- low resolution – high resolution