Once again we have come together to do another blind tasting. This time it was Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Franc is one of the six grapes that make up the traditional varieties use in French Bordeaux wine. This black skinned grape is usually found in blends but has become more and more popular as a stand alone varietal that is grown all over the world. However, when conducting a blind tasting it can be hard to find a 100% Cabernet Franc. Most people just read the label and don’t consider that there is a possibility that 25% or less that could be another Bordeaux varietal.

Now I have had some really bold Cabernet Franc in the Temecula Valley but generally speaking, they are usually light to medium bodied reds. The one thing to keep in mind when doing these blind tastings is that everyone’s palate is different and you may not get the same tasting notes as everyone else. When we get together to do these tastings, it is not all about sampling fine wines from all over the world, it is about learning new things and trying new wines. With that said, some of the aromas you might smell when you have Cabernet Franc in your glass are rosemary, bellpepper, strawberry, and raspberry. Swirling the wine around your mouth you might get hints of light to dark red fruits, dark pepper, and a bit of earthiness.

In the nine wines we tasted, one wine was a duplicate. Rather than just entering the one, we kept the duplicate in the tasting as sometimes bottles of wine will taste different. Although there are a number of reasons for why two bottles of the same wine can taste different, it usually comes down to the way the wine was stored.

Here are the wines in order of tasting:

• 2011 Beaucanon Estate (Napa)
• 2015 Brecon Estate (Paso Robles)
• 2017 Titus (Napa)
• 2015 Marshall Stuart (Temecula)
• NV Bel Vino (Temecula)
• 2016 Robert Renzoni (Temecula)
• 2016 Hart Estate (Temecula)
• 2015 Marshall Stuart (Temecula)
• 2015 Gershon Bachus (Temecula)

After sampling all the wines and adding up the scores we made a decision on the top 3 wines with a tie for 3rd place. The following wines were:

1. 2015 Titus from Napa Valley
2. 2016 Hart from Temecula Valley
3. 2015 Marshall Stuart from Temecula Valley and the 2015 Gershon Bachus from Temecula Valley

My personal notes on each of these wines were as followed. When lifting the Titus to my nose after a few twirls in my glass, I could pick up dark stone fruit on the nose with a slight hint of bell pepper and vanilla. Swishing it around my mouth, I picked up hints of oak, leather, and dark cherry that ended with a long dry finish. The Hart wine was a little lighter in color but don’t be fooled, it was well balanced and complex. I could pick up hints of chocolate covered cherries on the nose with rosemary, cranberry, raspberry, and slight notes of vanilla on a the long dry finish. Trailing with only 7 points behind Hart, Marshall Stuart and Gershon Bachus tied for third. After a few swirls of Marshall Stuarts wine, I immediately pick up hints or strawberry and cherry on the nose with subtle hints of bell pepper. Taking my first sip, my palate was tantalized by the explosive hints of strawberry, raspberry, and leather that ended with a long dry finish. Also tied for third is the wine from Gershon Bachus. Taking a slow deep breath. I pick up hints of strawberry, rosemary with slight notes of oak. Swishing around the wine in my mouth to cover my entire palate, I taste hints of bell pepper, dark cherries, and herbs that end with a smooth dry finish.

Whenever we get together to do these tastings, wines from the Temecula Valley always end up in the top three. More than half of Temecula wines thus far in the tastings that “The Crush” has conducted have placed first. The winning bottle “Titus” is a reminder of how much of a benchmark that Napa Valley still holds in the world of wine. However, all regions showed similar combinations of red fruit and pepper. It is a testament to how Temecula wines can stand up and rank with the big guns.