Calais Winery
La Cuvée De Cantegal Cabernet Franc
Texas High Plains, Texas, USA
It’s been a year and a half since I’ve had this when I was at the winery and with October being Texas Wine Month, I figured now was the time to revisit. The winemaker is from France and has freshly baked homemade bread when you visit his cave. Wonderful winery experience in the Hill Country.
CabFranc from TX...12.5 ABV. Great dark ruby color in the glass. The nose is spicy (bell pepper and peppercorn) but the fruit keeps it balanced (black cherry, rhubarb) with additional smoked cedar notes. The punch with this comes in the mid palate as the front is quite light and the finish isn’t overly lengthy. Similar notes on the palate with the fruit tasting more tart and a savory tomato like note. There is a unique candied blackberry note I’ve never come across before. A really nice expression of CabFranc from a talented winemaker.
It’s been a year and a half since I’ve had this when I was at the winery and with October being Texas Wine Month, I figured now was the time to revisit. The winemaker is from France and has freshly baked homemade bread when you visit his cave. Wonderful winery experience in the Hill Country.
CabFranc from TX...12.5 ABV. Great dark ruby color in the glass. The nose is spicy (bell pepper and peppercorn) but the fruit keeps it balanced (black cherry, rhubarb) with additional smoked cedar notes. The punch with this comes in the mid palate as the front is quite light and the finish isn’t overly lengthy. Similar notes on the palate with the fruit tasting more tart and a savory tomato like note. There is a unique candied blackberry note I’ve never come across before. A really nice expression of CabFranc from a talented winemaker.
Served over a 3-hour period, and I can definitely tell you that it required every bit of three hours for this one to come into its prime. This one pours a dirty raspberry into the glass. The nose is very reminiscent of the pour. Lots of very dirty raspberry with a floral note of lilies. The entry is all funky raspberry, floral notes abound quite a bit more than in the nose. The middle of this wine is sweeter red fruit. Seemed a little more full-bodied than the pour would have let on. A slight hint of toffee and nutmeg. Finishes with some rather stiff tannin. For a 2012 Texas wine, this one is really showing a lot of maturity and depth that you typically do not see for this variety. Ben's Franc takes quite a while to express both with bottle aging and again at cork pop. Although these are much more ready to go then the 2015, I can tell you that the consensus here is to leave all of these bottles alone for at least another one or two years.
Served over a 3-hour period, and I can definitely tell you that it required every bit of three hours for this one to come into its prime. This one pours a dirty raspberry into the glass. The nose is very reminiscent of the pour. Lots of very dirty raspberry with a floral note of lilies. The entry is all funky raspberry, floral notes abound quite a bit more than in the nose. The middle of this wine is sweeter red fruit. Seemed a little more full-bodied than the pour would have let on. A slight hint of toffee and nutmeg. Finishes with some rather stiff tannin. For a 2012 Texas wine, this one is really showing a lot of maturity and depth that you typically do not see for this variety. Ben's Franc takes quite a while to express both with bottle aging and again at cork pop. Although these are much more ready to go then the 2015, I can tell you that the consensus here is to leave all of these bottles alone for at least another one or two years.
Oct 24th, 2018Nice and peppery but still well balanced. I can tell these flavors are already evolving a lot.
Nice and peppery but still well balanced. I can tell these flavors are already evolving a lot.
Apr 15th, 2017
