Traveling Wine Regions While Staying Place. Today 2016 YoungInglewood Cabernet Franc from St Helena, California
The Winery
Still the best label on any wine bottle and one of the top ten Cabernet Franc’s coming out of Napa Valley. The label is so simple with no wording but speaks volumes regarding their wine. He a tightrope walker balancing on a rope (hard to see in the picture) with the balancing pole. Here is a definition and use of a balancing pole: “An increased moment of inertia helps withstand external sources of torque, such as sudden gusts of wind. The heavy weights allow the tightrope walker to exert torque by simply rotating the pole slightly, which moves his/her center of mass the other way, helping re-center him- or herself directly over the tightrope”. So now think of the tightrope walker as the winemaker striving to balance a vintage of wine with fruit and acidity, sweetness and dryness, smooth finish and quality tannins, etc. One powerful “little figure” with no wording, provides the insight and vision of the Young Family in their quest in making excellent wine. Jim, Jacky and Scott Young have a keen insight on how to produce excellent wines year after year.
The Wine
The 2016 Young Inglewood Estate Cabernet Franc has a deep and dark brick red color and with a ting of Royal Purple. It has a medium viscosity on the eyes. On the nose you get blueberry, cherry, cranberry and a hint of plum and lavender. Also on the nose, you can get a waffle of red licorice, sage and sweet pipe tobacco. On the palate, raspberries, caramel, vanilla and new soft leather. This wine has the key benchmark of mild pyrazine with herbal and vegetal aromas of red bell pepper and peppercorns. This just adds some classical complexity to the wine. Medium acidity and sweetness but tannins that stir up the senses to be awakened but not be overpowered. The finish is like the tightrope walker, making it to the other side with confidence and completing the task assigned successfully. No wonder why their Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and blends, have made my list of the yearly Best Wines! The grapes were hand sorted and the wine spent 21 months in neutral French oak. Only 24 cases of Cabernet Franc were produced. Current list price is $110.
The Food Pairing
Tonight’s meal was a shish kabob barbequed filet mignon, red & orange bell peppers, purple onions and Portobello mushrooms. Two filet mignon were cubed and placed in a closed metal basket and layered with each of the ingredients sliced or slivered. The flavors of the vegetables over low heat on the BBQ waffled into the lightly seasoned meat. The peppers provided a complementary flavor profile to the wine. Served over a bed of cauliflower rice and accompanied with a fresh garden salad.
Slainte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
http://younginglewood.com/
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