2020 Cabernet Franc
Sculpterra’s 2020 Cabernet Franc is 100% Cabernet Franc, rich in texture and tannic to the core. These dense tannins are no obstacle to the wine's black fruits and spicy, almost jalapeño like, character. Rich and concentrated, this Cab Franc opens with a sweet-scented nose of rose and cherry. Layers of chocolate and cherries combine with mint, fresh basil, oregano, and pleasant herbaceous notes. At 15.3% alcohol, these grapes were picked at optimal ripeness while still maintaining proper acidity. Grown on the valley floor, “Lago De Los Patos” Vineyard, the vines are as picturesque as the wine’s clean aromas and bouquets. Enjoy this wine with spicy Italian sausages or even prosciutto and the finest asiago cheese. Cheers to an amazing Cabernet Franc, done right!
Sculpterra’s 2020 Cabernet Franc is 100% Cabernet Franc, rich in texture and tannic to the core. These dense tannins are no obstacle to the wine's black fruits and spicy, almost jalapeño like, character. Rich and concentrated, this Cab Franc opens with a sweet-scented nose of rose and cherry. Layers of chocolate and cherries combine with mint, fresh basil, oregano, and pleasant herbaceous notes. At 15.3% alcohol, these grapes were picked at optimal ripeness while still maintaining proper acidity. Grown on the valley floor, “Lago De Los Patos” Vineyard, the vines are as picturesque as the wine’s clean aromas and bouquets. Enjoy this wine with spicy Italian sausages or even prosciutto and the finest asiago cheese. Cheers to an amazing Cabernet Franc, done right!
At the winery, we started off by destemming the berries off the clusters, mostly whole berry, then followed up with a 2-day cold soak of the crushed must at a chilling 50 degrees. We fermented the entire lot in one 2,300-gallon stainless tank. I selected yeast CLOS for its ability to bring forth and enhance varietal character as well as it’s strength to trap natural tannins and improve the wine’s structure. Fermentation lasted just 12 days, followed by racking, pressing and settling. Right off the press it was easy to see that this wine was going to be big, bold and truly a stand-alone candidate. We aged the wine exclusively in 500L puncheon barrels. I love puncheon barrels for their ability to micro-oxidize the wine while imparting less aggressively and smooth oak flavors. The wine completed secondary fermentation (Malo-Lactic conversion) in barrel followed by racking and returning the wine back to barrel for long term aging. We bottled the wine in May 2022 and the wine is scheduled to be released January 1st 2023.
| Download Wine Notes |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Varietal | Cabernet Franc |
| Varietal Composition | 100% Cabernet Franc |
| Appellation | Paso Robles |
| Vineyard | Frankel Family Estate |
| Acid | 0.70 g/ml |
| PH | 3.55 |
| Residual Sugar | 0.03 g/100 ml |
| Alcohol | 15.30% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 08/17/2022 |
| Cases Produced | 330 |
2020 was our best year producing Cabernet Franc wine! The grapes were super uniform, consistent and perfectly ripe at harvest. The vineyard picks fast and clean, we handpicked the vineyard in just 1.5 hours. The harvest date was October 3rd right towards the end of harvesting the entire 150-acre vineyard. The vineyard is located on the 1.5-acre block “Lago De Los Patos,” situated right in front of our magnificent sculpture garden and tasting room. The vines are oriented directly north and south and the canes are held up by 2 cross arms attached to the trellis system. Typically, we average 3 tons per acre but in 2020 we got a whopping 5.5 tons per acre! The vineyard soils are mostly clay-loam with sections of rocky terrain. The vine rows slowly climb up a hill that leads the way to the jaw dropping handcrafted Bob Bentley entrance gates.
