2022 Matthiasson Cabernet Franc Napa Valley, USA

This Cabernet franc represents 2 rows in our home (“MATTHIASSON”) vineyard in the Western Oak Knoll area of Napa Valley. The clonal selection was brought from Bordeaux in the late 90s by someone who will remain unnamedhe refers to it as clone X. It was grafted onto 15 year old Merlot vines. Cabernet franc is particularly representative of the site where it is grown, and at its best it is feminine, intriguing, and difficult to understand. Beguiling. We focus completely on the mineral and herbal aspects of its character and end up with a wine that somehow manages to be both delicate and powerful, aromatic, long, and with an ethereal lightness. Its a completely different expression of Cabernet franc than one usually finds in the new world, informed by the wines of Chinon, but something totally unique in and of itself a true representation of the terroir of our Napa vineyard, showing a feminine side of Napa that is rarely seen any more. – Matthiasson