Franciscan Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon, Monterey County

Was a solid Cabernet. Drank a little past its best date which may have impacted wine.

2014 vintage

Not a high end bottle, but I've been saving this because of the vintage and we're not disappointed. It could go another 3-5 years properly stored. Decanted for an hour. The nose is bright and bursting out of the bottle. Black raspberry, plum and strawberry fruit, eucalyptus and white pepper. Palate is Blackberry, blueberry, plum fruit, tomatoe leaf bitters mid palate and baking spices, sweet cigar & walnut fill out the finish. Very well balanced. If I didn't know better, …

2013 vintage

Past it’s prime and going downhill….it was expected…..but a good experiment!

2013 vintage

CHSS reunion dinner. excellent wine

2014 vintage

After aging 15 years at 54 F, then decanted for 2 hours, tasted less fruit forward but smooth integrated tannins and nice balance. Paired well with grilled rib eye steak. Drink now! The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like fig, black currant (cassis) and dust. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.

2006 vintage

Red fruit on palate, nice acidity, smooth tannins, fairly long finish.

2014 vintage

Nice dark fruits with notes of chocolate, anise, and herbs. A bit lite as the age is catching up with it. Drink now.

2014 vintage

Really nice for the price point. Some strong tannins which mellowed out with a few hours of air. Great fruit and spice. Nice mid week drinker with steak and salad

2013 vintage

Some firm tannins, otherwise a fairly standard nicely-priced Napa cab.

2013 vintage

Fruit is past its prime but the wine has a delicate floral touch; must decant.

2006 vintage

Above average cabernet experience - mature, still firm, medium-bodied, concentrated with a spicy finish.

2013 vintage

2013 doesn’t disappoint. Firm dry tannins over nicely balanced fruit.

2013 vintage

Definitely at the end of its life. Still some cherry, but a lot of stewed prunes. Surprisingly still drinkable. A little high on the alcohol which took a couple of hours to get under control. Much better than expected from a wine this old and inexpensive.

1998 vintage

Pleasantly surprised the wine had great body for an aged wine!

1998 vintage

Drank side-by-side with a 2000, this was much more fruit forward but not as rounded and full-bodied. Lots of blueberries, plum and a little spice. Great value for the price.

2013 vintage

Drinking this immediately after a rather harsh Cotes du Rhone, we felt this Cab was light bodied and smooth. However, once we adjusted our palates during our dinner of roasted sausage, peppers, and onions, we were able to appreciate this wines good qualities. This is a solid cabernet that nicely distributes its pepperiness over the palate. I was sorely tempted to break my rule and have a second glass, but I refrained.

2014 vintage

87 Good wine but not great. Would not buy it again.

2014 vintage

Dry and full bodied. Licorice and chocolate go well with it after steaks.

2014 vintage

Wow was worried about having this too long but what a wonderful keep. Big with deep cherry notes and strong tanins. Was so surprised but what a great thanksgiving vino

1998 vintage

Smooth

2013 vintage

The wine was bought just after release and well cellared at constant 55° with temp control. It is a little past its prime. But the result is less jammy than when in its prime which ain’t all bad either. But drink soon!

2006 vintage

Good for the price

2013 vintage

This was surprisingly good. Very nice dark fruit flavors, medium to full body, smooth texture, good structure and medium-to-long fruity finish. Best of all, nothing thin, weak or flabby which is often typical of bottles in this price range. Perhaps a bit hot, but not enough to bother my palate. Based on the scores, there must be significant bottle variation.

2014 vintage

Tastes Too much like alcohol flavor. Rubbing alcohol

2014 vintage

Aroma reminds me of visit to Tatiana and Ian when they lived in SF and we did a tour of Napa. Franciscan was the first stop, and the beginning of a great day of tasting and catching up. Glad to find this offering of theirs in Texas.

2014 vintage

Firm and tensile, with good currant, fig paste, mocha, and fancy oak aromas. The palate is deceptive in weight and shows textbook Fransiscan restraint, bright acidity, fine-grained tannin, and a hint of green bell pepper on the finish. Spicy, capsaicin aftertaste. Selfishly I was expecting a bit more but this is just fine.

2013 vintage

Perfectly fine for the price. Better after an hour.

2014 vintage

Disappointing. Thin and weak. Almost sour to the palette. No redeeming flavors nor finish. Marginally worked with steak dinner.

2014 vintage

Decanted for an hour - really smooth. Light and fruity. Color is darker than the the taste. Received 2 as gift very nice of my friends. No disappointment here.

2013 vintage

Very tasty. Color is a deep ruby, still good fruit but a whole bunch of other flavors.

2006 vintage

Better than expected, with just a touch of that "cheap red" flavor I try to avoid. Would buy again if priced right.

2014 vintage

corked

1980 vintage

Nothing special; good value for the money ($20/bottle).

2014 vintage

Medium body, oak, round

2014 vintage

Nose is subdued but very pleasant, with floral notes, blueberry and wood. Let open for 1 hour. Light body, silky texture. Flavors of green pepper, chalk, strawberry and vanilla. Lingering finish of cinnamon and cherry. Good QPR.

2013 vintage

mild red fruit aroma, garnet, medium body, shrill weak red fruit, green earth flavors, modest tannins and acid, short finish, blah...

2014 vintage

Not bad, maybe even good for the price-- certainly not a rip-off/fake wine like Caymus Conundrum of the same year. Light.

2014 vintage

This is a really nice price point cab, with depth and character. Dry, dark berry, fig, vanilla and balanced on oak. Let it open up for a couple or three hours to get the most of it. 89

2013 vintage

We ordered this says the house wine with our dinner and we were very pleasantly surprised. It's got just enough structure, a nice finish, and even being so young, was not a fruit bomb. For the price, I gave a Great score.

2014 vintage

Really disappointing. Thin, vegetable notes, short finish. Settled down a little after some hours open (hence the GENEROUS 85) but most of the bottle went into the sangria we planned to bring for a weekend BBQ. Previous reviews were not as harsh so maybe a bad bottle that had been sitting on the merchant's shelves in the bright hot sun for the past 6 months?

2014 vintage

Oaky nose...carob, green pepper, dry tannins..dark dark legs.

2013 vintage

87 pts.Wine Spectator: Mar 31, 2017 Features a seam of dusty herb, currant, tobacco leaf and underbrush flavors, folding together nicely and gliding along on the finish. Drink now.

2013 vintage

Simple, straight forward, quality Napa Cab. Hard to beat for <$23. Fairly consistent year over year. Works well for family gatherings and won't offend anyone. Great with sirloin steak tips.

2014 vintage

Solid, if simple, Napa Cab. Good for large gatherings or weekdays.

2014 vintage

Bought from Binny's for 16.99 per 750ml bottle. Tight upon opening, but you can tell it will open up beautifully and it doesn't dissapoint. Wonderful dark fruit and minerality and a touch of oak and vanilla as well. The palate is well balanced with the fruit, tannins, a little chocolate, nice acidity, chewy and delicious.

2013 vintage

Great price point for this wine. Smooth but bold Cab with lots of fruit and flavor. Hints of tobacco and licorice. Great go to wine.

2013 vintage

Very dry, moderate tannins, low complexity. No fruit, not much there. Softened and became slightly better after a couple of hours of air, but still disappointing. Might also improve with several more years in the bottle, but I wouldn't waste space in my cellar for this. There are better wines to age.

2013 vintage

CA Cabernet Sauvignons & Blends (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA) : N: Fragrantly jammy/smoky with undertones of pyrazines P: Med body; ALMOST swtish frt (threshold R.S.?) met by an astringent pucker which somewhat works itself out by the LONG, very slightly astringent finish. Needs/DESERVES 18-30 mos, then potentially *outstanding* QPR for this AVA, *if* the swtness doesn't interfere. 13.5% ABV; 91 pts WE (2/1/18) @ $29, and 90 (2x) winealign.com. [As of early Mar '20, wine-searcher only shows magnums …

2014 vintage

There has been some (well-deserved?) disappointment with this entry level wine for several years but I believe there may be a change with this vintage. Opened and poured a small glass without aerating or decanting. The wine was very closed but exhibited a deep violet color, a typical but unexciting nose; brooding; solid fruit flavors, good acidity and strong but not overwhelming tannins. Day two:dark fruits but periodically a hint of lighter, sweeter cherry fruits and vanilla. Smooth; elegant, long …

2014 vintage

This wine is medium black red in color and medium opacity. A nice nose of cherry, tar and cedar. Round, smooth and full of flavors of black cherry. Nice mouth feel.

2013 vintage

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Franciscan Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon, Monterey County

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