An OMG version of CF. Steely margins frame all sides of the concentration, a focus of berry and mineral only this variety is capable of. Buttery cherry liqueur in the nose, sharp placements of cassis and ridiculous blackberry spike the green, spicy aroma. It’s dense. It’s decadent. It is alive and dark and brooding–but with the requisite areas of brittle vegetal and acid NOT being shy.
Cab-franc is not the first thing that comes to mind when contemplating the Sierra Foothills, but this is El Dorado baby. Not Amador, not Calaveras… this is the North, where they beat their own drum.
Decanted heavily. This thing is wound so tight. Sharp and acidic on the palate, powdery cherry laying dusty, dry layers of pith and pitch on all surfaces. The luscious fruit CONTROLS the background, but it lets all the crazy structure flow through it, causing a lip-smacking, teeth-wiping arrangement of balance for a wine this age.
One of the youngest, freshest, most vibrant wines I have tasted this month. This thing has LITERALLY two decades to go. This right here has EVERYTHING you want in a wine to forget about in your cellar. Buy a case and drink one every two years.
2016 LAVA CAP Cabernet Franc El Dorado AVA Sierra Foothills California 14.2
Stephen McConnell 