Reynolds Family Winery Cabernet Franc

Slightly brown tinged, this wine looked in the glass like an older wine. With smells of plum, we thought by nose alone it was a Cabernet Sauvignon. Palate was dry, yet rich and smooth. Finish had a little bitterness and chalkiness. We liked this more than some other California Cabernet Francs we have had recently.

We blind-tasted this wine, so spent much of our time discerning where it was from and varietal. We did not decant this wine. Slightly brown tinged, this wine looked in the glass like an older wine. With smells of plum, we thought by nose alone it was a Cabernet Sauvignon. Palate was dry, yet rich and smooth. Finish had a little bitterness and chalkiness. We liked this more than some other California Cabernet Francs we have had recently.

Deep, clear color for a medium body wine. Well developed nose with hints of leather. Short finish but well rounded and mature flavors throughout.

As usual, we decanted with aeration then tasted right away, then saw how it evolved over the next couple of hours. There was disagreement up front, as I liked the tight tannic structure and dark fruit--there was a touch of leather (?) as well--but the tannins were too much for my wife. We agreed that it improved over time, with the tannins easing and the fruit developing more richness. I think more time in the bottle would help.

Light for a Franc, but soft fruit flavors. A little tannic at first but after decanting for an hour it really opened up. I'd hold another year.