Franciscan Estate
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California, USA
This is a Napa Valley Cab, and sadly 2015 looks to be the last vintage this bottling uses fruits from the valley. 2016 was from Napa County, and 17 was sourced from Napa/Sonoma, and 18 is from Monterey.
To me this bottling represents one of the best Napa cab values. Always solid, and 2015 is outstanding. Supple, smooth, and earthy. Understated elegance.
Should have bought more.
This is a Napa Valley Cab, and sadly 2015 looks to be the last vintage this bottling uses fruits from the valley. 2016 was from Napa County, and 17 was sourced from Napa/Sonoma, and 18 is from Monterey.
To me this bottling represents one of the best Napa cab values. Always solid, and 2015 is outstanding. Supple, smooth, and earthy. Understated elegance.
Should have bought more.
The Franciscan Napa cab is always solid at $20, but with an outstanding vintage like 2015, it really over delivers. Fruit forward but also shows some depths and complexity. Oak use is quite lavish for a wine in this price range as it spent 20 months in small French barrels with 20% new, and it shows with supple mouth feel with toffee and wood spice. But it’s not overkilled. Chewy and a bit dusty tannins. 81% Cab, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec.
The Franciscan Napa cab is always solid at $20, but with an outstanding vintage like 2015, it really over delivers. Fruit forward but also shows some depths and complexity. Oak use is quite lavish for a wine in this price range as it spent 20 months in small French barrels with 20% new, and it shows with supple mouth feel with toffee and wood spice. But it’s not overkilled. Chewy and a bit dusty tannins. 81% Cab, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec.
Oct 6th, 2018
