2008 Central Park West Vinyeyard Cabernet Franc

The grapes for the 2008 Cabernet Franc come from a choice 3-acre block of our Central Park West Vineyard. This vineyard, named in a nostalgic nod to the New York City origins of the Trinchero family, is located at the southern end of the St. Helena appellation. This vineyard is a level site with deep, loamy soils and good sun exposure—the ideal situation for producing classic Napa Valley Bordeaux varietals.

The year began with below average winter rainfall, early bud break and potentially damaging spring frost. During bloom we had hot temperatures and high winds thus resulting in poor berry set. Although these factors decreased our yields, we benefited from loose medium sized clusters and Mother Nature doing the thinning for us. Summer conditions were overall mild, except for two major heat spikes at the end of the summer. Fortunately, as all our vineyards are estate, we pick our vineyards in stages, often a few rows at a time, allowing for optimal maturity.

“Cabernet Franc is most often used in blends, but it’s intriguing to me to bottle some Cabernet Franc on its own. This wine has an incredible deep garnet color, sarsaparilla and black cherry cola aromas with Cabernet Franc’s signature dried herb aromatics. It boasts juicy red fruit, melted licorice, and toasted green peppercorns and has an uncharacteristically soft mouthfeel for a Cabernet Franc. Thanks to its valley floor origins, with rich soil and good sun exposure, the tannins are nicely in balance.” —Mario Monticelli

299 cases