Years ago I found out how good these Sierra Foothills Cab Francs can be, and here’s another one. It really impresses for its dry finesse, a wine that exhibits true gout de terroir in the earthy, mushroomy flavors with their subtle hint of black cherries and violets. Try as an alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
— S.H.
(10/1/2006)
A 100%-Cabernet Franc from mountainous El Dorado County! This wine’s crazy good with tons of varietal character—woodsy tannins, touch of green pepper, vials of violets—that’s also packed with plenty of great plum, cassis and savory notes of leather and mocha, all in a memorable package. With plenty of grip and acid, enjoyed over a meal, it gets better by the minute…
— V.B.
(4/1/2011)
A wonderful dessert wine, spicy, rich and lush, with fig and grapefruit flavors at the fore. Layers of floral qualities are interspersed with herb, citrus, beach plum and honey notes. Sweet but not cloying thanks to zingy acidity.
— J.M.
(12/1/2002)
Enormously aromatic and very sweet, this rich, thick dessert wine has good acidity, and it needs it to balance out the honey, apricot purée, lemon custard, vanilla and honeysuckle flavors. A refreshing and delicious wine.
— S.H.
(4/1/2006)
Rich, lush and elegant, with hints of apricot, peach, honey and violets. The wine is full-bodied and velvety on the finish, with an attractive mineral-vanilla edge. —J.M.
— J.M.
(9/1/2002)
This offbeat blend of Clarksburg-grown Chenin Blanc, Stolpman Vineyard Roussanne from Santa Ynez Valley, and Central Coast Viognier is remarkable. As you might expect, it’s floral and fruity, but dry, with very high acidity and a modest 13.5% alcohol. It’s a clean, food-friendly wine with a great degree of complexity.
— S.H.
(4/1/2006)
The vineyard is best known for a Williams Selyem Pinot Noir. It’s a cool climate that ripens grapes well, but preserves plenty of acidity. This dry, barrel-fermented wine is complex and delicious, packed with Meyer lemon, pear, peach, tart green apple and spice flavors.
— S.H.
(12/31/2006)
Very dry, very acidic and very citrusy-flowery. Clarksburg has been making a reputation for Chenin for many years, and this wine confirms it, for it’s quite elegant and polished.
— S.H.
(11/15/2007)