When the 5^th generation of Taplins took stewardship of the land, all of our vineyards were planted with Cabernet Sauvignon.  Then almost 10 years ago, we planted a small block with Cabernet Franc, which we made our first wine from in 2019. We couldn’t believe how high the quality was, and how well it was received by our customers! It was a truly pure expression of a classic Bordeaux-style Cabernet Franc.

Cabernet Franc is the parent grape of several Bordeaux varietals, most notably Cabernet Sauvignon, but also Merlot and Carménère. In France it is planted in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. The profile can vary depending on where it is planted. In the Napa Valley we expect an herbaceous aroma, dried fruit flavor, lively acidity, and softer tannins. Smooth and elegant are some of the words used to describe our 2019 Cabernet Franc.

We were so enamored with this wine that we just grafted a few more acres of Cabernet Franc onto existing rootstock. It was a careful, labor-intensive process, and now is beginning to grow.

 We will have to wait at least 5 years to make wine from these newly-grafted vines, but in the meantime, in 2024 we will be releasing a very limited production from the 2021 vintage to our Club members, which is made from the first plantings.

The previous release paired beautifully with vegetarian and tomato-based dishes, and we can’t wait to try out some new recipes when we release the 2021.