Happy New Year! It’s time for a start the year off right with our first Featured Wine of the Month for 2017! As you know, each month Damian will profile a Doffo wine, giving you a little bit of back story about the winemaking process, what to expect when you taste it, and what kinds of foods to pair it with. We hope you enjoy and visit us in Temecula soon to learn more about our handcrafted wines! Our Featured Wine of the Month for January is our 2014 Cabernet Franc!
This single lot Cabernet Franc comes from the 2.5 acre vineyard that we farm and harvest ourselves. Contrary to popular belief, Cabernet Franc is actually not related to Cabernet Sauvignon, in fact they come from two completely different plants. Cabernet Franc is primarily grown in France, Italy, Eastern Europe and the United States as these grapes thrive better in cool, rainy regions. Cabernet Sauvignon on the other hand, is planted worldwide, due to its popularity and hardiness.
Winemaking Notes
Normally warm region Cabernet Franc shows green bell pepper notes, but in our style of farming and winemaking, we try to extract minimal green characteristics and make ours more fruit forward. This particular varietal benefits most from our unique technique – not crushing grapes. By not crushing, we don’t get as much green notes from stems, and it becomes more fruit forward. We find it more appealing and less aggressive. Our 2014 Cabernet Franc spent 18 months in oak barrels, with a combination of new and old American. We went a little heavier on the used barrels, as we didn’t want to over-oak this wine.
Tasting Notes
With this wine you’ll find fine tannins and peppery accents, plus blackberry and plum flavor. On the nose, you’ll get a symphony of herbs, spices, violets and sweet tobacco scent.
Pairing Notes
Typically, medium-bodied wines like Cabernet Franc can pair with a wide variety of foods due to their natural high acidity and slightly reduced tannins. Due to it’s higher acidity it’s possible to pair with tomato-based dishes or vinegar-based sauces..Perfect for this summer’s BBQ! We recommend our 2014 Cab Franc with anything from beef hamburgers to elegant lamb chops. It also pairs well with a variety of cheeses, including goat, feta and fontina. Spice up your dishes with herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage and black pepper to truly enhance the wine’s flavor.
