David Rosenthal may have been disappointed, just for a moment, when he looked over the containers of red grapes back in 2012.
He generally sells his crop of Cabernet Franc. But that year interest apparently shifted to other varietals, leaving him with an unexpected ‘burden.’
Of course, when life hands you Cabernet Franc …
The R Vineyards 2012 Cabernet Franc makes you wish buyers would leave the Middletown winemaker alone with his red grapes more often. The wine invites you with aromas of deep red fruit — plum and perhaps a hint of cassis — wafting over a cushion of soft leather, pricked by a little spice. But there’s also an inscrutable note skipping deftly over the nose, like sweet tea before the addition of sugar.
Perhaps this cured impression is what remained after Rosenthal decided to extend the wine’s time in French oak.
“That wine had extra tannins early on,” he explained. “We left it in the barrels to smooth it out.”
His Cab Franc spent 22 months in wood, racked three times between new and neutral oak. This process left a warm tingle of vanilla on the finish, which nicely rounds out the wealth of ruby fruits and comforting chocolate that flow over your palate before.
The wine opens with rich plum and black currant. This tugs along an earthier quality of weathered velour. But there’s no undertow. The earthiness lurks behind a nice chocolate sensation that leads into the vanilla finish.
It’s a hearty, deep wine, yet not a heavy one. Bright cherry flirts around the edges, lending a cheerful aspect.
“It came out very well,” Rosenthal acknowledged.
Cabernet Franc seems to thrive in the nutrient-thin soils — or maybe not thrive, but develop full flavors. Rosenthal attributes the mocha character not to barrel aging, but to something drawn into the grapes from the Middletown terroir. He can only coax 4 tons an acre from the vines, but this served to concentrate flavors more.
R Vineyards survived the Valley Fire relatively unscathed — and that’s not the only bit of good news for fans of Lake County wines. Because of the fire, Rosenthal could not sell his Cabernet Franc again this year.
So there will be a 2015 vintage once the 2012 runs out.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
