Shockingly intense from the moment you see her, Madeleine is a thick, staining bruiser only 13-5 and yet somehow browned-butter eucalyptus, peat and icy granite carry the blackberry and cherry cake deftly… momentarily… before mind-numbing tannins–rounded with chocolate and orange pekoe and a background of blueberry–make you literally re-think your whole devotion to CF.

Could a soft-shouldered CF last 20 years? This one has everything. absolutely. totally. set in place. to do just that. Wow. I am near speechlessly impressed right now. As soon as I saw “Paicines” I had to try it. This little postage-stamp AVA next to Monterey County is one of California’s hidden gems. While this little imprint of a winery produces a fairly full roster, the Cab Franc seems to be the flagship and oh boy did they get it right.  Extremely inexpensive too…

2014 MADELEINE Cabernet Franc Paicines San Benito County CA 13.5

www.madeleinewine.com