Franciscan Estate Wines

Each winey and every winemaker add their individual signature to the wines they produce. Franciscan Estate has been an award winning producer of wines since 1985 and their secret is no secret; they ferment and age all of their wines in small batches. Why small batches? By employing small batch fermentation and aging, the individual nuances derived from the soil and climate of a specific section of the vineyard can be persevered and nurtured. The yeast used in fermentation can mutate while fermentation the wine and produce various characteristics, some good and some bad. By utilizing small batch fermenting, any off features can be rooted out and discarded. Similar problems can also occur during aging in oak barrels. Wood is notoriously fickle and can harbor all sorts of microorganisms that can help or hinder the wine. When the wine has passed all of these obstacles, it may be blended with other wines of the same vintage or bottled individually if it is called for. Franciscan winemakers have bottled and separately labeled as few as 100 bottles if a particular batch called for it. The care in manufacture carries through to all of the Franciscan wines and the quality of them shows it.

Franciscan 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay ($18). The reigning “king of the whites” is well portrayed in this offering. It is a bright and open wine that shows off all of the charms of a chardonnay to its fullest. The wine is well oaked, both in the aroma and the flavor, so if you enjoy wines that have a solid oak backbone, this one is for you. The flavor and aroma encompass the sensations of oak, vanilla, green apples and pears. Unlike many of our modern chardonnay wines, this wine has a positive and lingering fruity aftertaste. With all that has been said and written about chardonnay wines, all we can add is to try the Franciscan 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay, we are sure that you will not be disappointed.

Franciscan 2008 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($17). It’s hard to get excited over another Sauvignon Blanc on the market. There are so many of them out there that it becomes very difficult to pick one from the other. This is an easy drinking wine and is typical of a California sauvignon blanc. Both the aroma and the flavor stress the melon and grapefruit characteristics of the grape, while suppressing the grassy nature of the variety. This bit of suppression raises this wine from the ordinary to the position of an impeccable sipping wine. The Franciscan 2008 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect wine to accompany shell fish and other lightly prepared sea food dishes but it is also a wine to serve with summer fresh fruit salads, with or without mild cheese, and pasta dishes with white sauce.

Franciscan 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($28). This is an exceptionally well made wine that exhibits a heady aroma and a big fruit flavor. The flavor revolves around black currants and blackberries in combination with an earthy component that weaves through the wine and adds a heightened interest. The background flavors seem to be constantly changing as the wine rests in the glass. There is a refined and dignified amount of oak, which sometimes tastes sweet and at other times slightly smoky as well as a firm tannic backbone that will assure many years of bottle aging. This is a cab not to be missed.

Franciscan 2006 Napa Valley Merlot ($22). ). This wine is a credit to the Franciscan name and proves the reason that they are among America’s best. This is a silky wine that is loaded with the flavors and aromas of raspberry, cherry and summer berries. The background flavors are those of vanilla, cedar, and spice which all meld into a long and lingering fruit filled finish. This wine has an elegance about it that is found in few other wines and we recommend it to you unconditionally.