2020 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc

TASTING NOTES

• Aromas:  Rose petals, raspberries, mocha
• Flavors:  Blueberries, red currants, butterscotch
• Profile:  Medium-bodied with silky texture, polished tannins and balanced acidity

VINEYARD

Stagecoach Vineyard® is one of Napa’s iconic mountain vineyards, climbing between 900 and 1700 feet up the southern face of Pritchard Hill onto Atlas Peak. The site is planted to a wide range of varietals and rootstocks and features several distinct microclimates. Our Cabernet Franc is from the most sought-after section – Block I. This stretch of low yielding vines delivers unparalleled aromatics of red fruit and soft berry, which gradually gives way to refined minerality and light herbaceous notes for wine of unparalleled elegance.

WINEMAKING

• Harvested: September 21, 2020
• Brix @ harvest: 25.8°
• Fermentation details: 4-day cold soak, 13-day primary fermentation, 12-day extended maceration, malolactic fermentation in barrels
• Aging: 22 months in French oak barrels
• Final blend: 96% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot & 1% Petite Verdot
• pH: 3.69
• TA: 5.8 g/L
• Alcohol: 14.5%

VINTAGE

2019 was a fast and steady vintage for Napa Valley: warm days, cool nights and early season rain produced an exceptional growing season producing wines with bright acidity, forward tannins and deep, rich color.

Decanter   (Jonathan Cristaldi)  94 Points

• Reviewer’s Comments: Oleandri’s La Scala is conceived as a Napa Valley Bordeaux-style blend, with the 2023 comprising 67% Cabernet Sauvignon to set the framework, fleshed out by 20% Merlot and then smaller proportions of Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot to add breadth. It’s aged 22 months in 60% new French oak barrels. Jonathan Cristaldi: Such a robust, bold, muscular red wine, teeming with inky blackberry and black cherry, savoury black truffle and loamy earth. A bulwark of fine-grained tannins find mouthwatering resolution through a spine of juicy blood orange acidity. Jenica Flippo: A bold blend, opaque in colour and rich on the palate. Filled with black and red fruits, a hint of freshly tilled earth and refined tannins. Cara Patricia: Classic style with black fruit, sweet oak and violet florals.
• Drinking Window:  2026-36.

Wine Enthusiast   (Elaine Chukan Brown)  93 Points

• Reviewer’s Comments: This wine delivers an aromatic mix of blossoming herbs plus flavors of pencil shavings, black plum and a sprinkle of spiced cocoa. Pleasingly palate-cleansing tannins bring seriousness and poise to a full-bodied wine.