California Wines & Wineries

National Cabernet Franc Wine Competition Results Are In — Happy Cabernet Franc Day!

Posted on December 4, 2020 Updated on December 8, 2020

This was a great showing with 11 states and over fifty wines in the competition. This with the devastating fires on the west coast, Arizona and Colorado. Add the Covid-19 Pandemic, and the California Governor threating a “Stay at Home” order, we still managed to hold the competition outdoors at Copper Valley Golf Course facility. We had two last minutes changes with the People’s Judges due to family Covid-19 issues, but were fortunate to have several friends step up to judge. Again, this event was a blind competition (bagged bottles) and five classes of wines based on price range assigned.

The Professional Judges (Tom Bender, Rudy Zuidema, Tana Cole and Debra Miller) awarded 2017 Diamond Mountain Winery Best of Show.

The Listing for Double Gold, Gold and Silver from the Professional Judges were as follows (*denotes Best of Class and *** denotes Best of Show):

Silver – 2017 Pear Valley Vineyards & Winery, Paso Robles, Ca.

Silver – 2014 Grizzly Peak Winery, Oregon

Silver – 2017 Winery at Black Star Farm, Michigan

*Gold – 2015 Shale Canyon Winery, Carmel (Arroyo Seco grapes), Ca.

Silver – 2018 12 Corners Vineyards, Michigan

Silver – 2018 Buckel Family Wine, Colorado

Silver –2016 Jackalop Wine Cellars, Oregon

Silver – 2017 Ciccone Vineyards & Winery, Michigan

Silver – 2017 Mineral Wines, Murphys, Ca.

Silver – 2017 Cathedral Ridge Winery, Oregon

*Gold – 2017 Cuda Ridge Winery, Livermore, Ca.

Silver – 2017 Lemon Creek Winery, Michigan

Silver – 2017 Kenefick Ranch, Calistoga, Ca.

Silver – 2018 Cuda Ridge Winery, Livermore, Ca.

Silver – 2018 Lemon Creek Winery, Michigan

Silver – 2017 Dracaena Wines Reserve, Paso Robles, Ca.

Silver –2016 Rosa Fierro Cellars, Livermore, Ca.

Silver – 2018 Wood Family Vineyards, Livermore, Ca.

Silver – 2017 Leisure Street Winery (Clarksburg grapes), Livermore, Ca.

Silver – 2017 Silenus Winery, Oak Knoll, Ca.

Silver – 2018 Yorkville Cellars, Mendocino, Ca.

Silver – 2017 Darcie Kent Vineyards, Livermore, Ca.

Silver – 2018 Brecon Estate, Paso Robles, Ca.

*Double Gold – 2017 Steven Kent Winery, Livermore, Ca.

Silver – 2014 PureCru Winery, Napa Valley, Ca.

Gold – 2018 Brecon Reserve, Paso Robles, Ca.

Gold – 2016 PureCru Winery, Napa Valley, Ca.

Silver – 2017 Oakville East, Oakville, Ca.

*Gold – 2018 Vinoce Vineyard, Mt Veeder, Ca.

Silver – 2017 Hunter Glenn Estate, Napa Valley, Ca.

*, ***Double Gold – 2017 Diamond Mountain Vineyard, Diamond Mtn., Ca.

Gold – 2016 Palazzo Wine, St Helena, Ca.

Gold – 2017 Shadybrook Estate, Coombsville, Ca.

The Listing for Double Gold, Gold and Silver from the People’s Choice Judges (Steve Besst, Gary Miller, Darlene Besst and Candy Strubbe) awarded Best of Show to 2018 Vinoce Vineyards. Read their awards below (*denotes Best of Class and *** denotes Best of Show):

*Gold – 2014 Grizzly Peak, Colorado

Silver – 2019 Jeff Runquist Wines, (Clarksburg grapes), Amador, Ca.

Silver – 2017 Mineral Wines, Murphys, Ca.

Silver – 2018 Lemon Creek Winery, Michigan

Silver – 2017 Dracaena Wines, Paso Robles, Ca.

Silver — 2017 Narmada Reserve, Virginia

Gold – 2016 Rosa Fierro Cellars, Livermore, Ca.

Silver – 2018 Wood Family Vineyards, Livermore, Ca.

Gold – Leisure Street Winery, Livermore, Ca.

*Double Gold – 2017 Silenus Winery, Oak Knoll, Ca.

Silver – 2017 Garre Vineyard, Livermore, Ca.

Silver – 2016 Narmada Wine Reserve, Virginia

*Double Gold – 2018 Brecon Estate Reserve, Paso Robles, Ca.

Gold – 2017 Steven Kent Winery, Livermore, Ca.

Silver – 2014 PureCru Winery, Napa Valley, Ca.

Silver – 2018 Brecon Estate Reserve, Paso Robles, Ca.

Silver – 2016 PureCru Winery, Napa Valley, Ca.

Gold – 2017 Oakville East, Oakville, Ca.

*, ***Double Gold – 2018 Vinoce Vineyards, Ca.

Silver – 2017 Hunter Glenn Estate, Napa, Ca.

*Double Gold – 2017 Diamond Mountain Vineyard, Diamond Mtn., Ca.

Gold – 2016 Palazzo Wine, St Helena, Ca.

Gold – 2017 Shadybrook Estate, Coombsville, Ca.

Other participating wines/wineries won a Bronze Medal and only a few were given “no award”.  

Some interesting observational and statistical facts:

–Professional & People’s Choice Judges awarded exactly the same to 11 wines.

–Professional & People’s Choice Judges awarded to 42 wineries (within one ranking!)

–Professional & People’s Choice Judges awarded two Best of Class to the same winery!

–Professional Judges awarded Shale Canyon last year as Best of Class and again this year (remember it is blind tasting)

–Both sets of Judges awarded a wide range of AVA’s with Double Gold, Gold and Silver awards throughout the United States.

First, I want to thank all the wineries competing, being winners in my mind for putting out their “children” to be evaluated. Secondly, I want to thank the Professional and People’s Choice Judges for the difficult work of sorting through the wines and making some tight and a few difficult decisions.  Thirdly, I want to thank the wine runners and assistants who kept the event on schedule. Fourthly, I want to thank Lori Budd, co-founder of Cabernet Franc Day who took time out of her day to attend the event. Lastly, I want to thank Rick Watts and his staff, Food & Beverage Manager at Vine 18, Copper Golf Club, for helping logistically and his flexibility working with the various Covid-19 restrictions and government directives in providing a safe environment for all to participate.

Specific stories and wine reviews will be forthcoming on all Double Gold, Gold, Silver, Best of Class and Best of Show winners at https://Californiawinesandwineries.com .

Next year’s event will be include international Cabernet Franc wineries and wines! Assuming by December of next year, the pandemic is behind us, we will open this up to the public and it will be a two day event with food pairings, wine tasting, papers, speeches, etc.

Sláinte,

Michael

https://californiawinesandwineries.com