2019 Camaraderie Cellars Cabernet Franc
The Winery and Background
Camaraderie Cellars is located in Port Angeles, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula. Camaraderie Cellars has been recognized for over 25 years making quality and award winning wines. The winery is owned by Don and Vicki Corson. Don is the winemaker. Don has two outstanding quotes on their website, the first being “Our wines are meant to go with food than just opening the mail”. A personal philosophical position I take, that the food and wine pairing elevates both up to a better place. His second quote is on how they prefer traditional wine methods when producing wines, specifically using a lot of different types of barrels concluding with “I want to use oak to frame the picture and not be an opportunity for an oak carving”. Well stated Don!
Photo ©Pam Russell from Camaraderie Cellars website.
As a geographer by academia and fully understanding a “sense of place” and it shows with them getting their grapes from primarily five major vineyards located in Eastern Washington. Each being hand selected. Today Camaraderie Cellars make about 3,000 cases consistently of Sauvignon Blanc, “Bordeaux style” blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Sangiovese Grenache, Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and a few others.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
At the 4th International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition & Celebration, Camaraderie Cellars won from the Professional Judges the Best of Class and Best of Show for the Northwest Division and a Double Gold Medal.
The Wine “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Besides the Cabernet Franc awards at the Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition, they have also won Gold at the Seattle Wine Awards and scoring 91 points. Additionally they won a Bronze at the Jefferson Cup Invitational. This wine a primary color of red bricks with a purple rim and medium viscosity. On the nose aromas waft into the senses red fruits (cherry, raspberry and a tinge of strawberry). On the palate the wine is dry and presents a wide range of flavors of vanilla pipe tobacco, leather and earthiness. On the finish, the acidity comes across and the tannins have an edginess without being over bearing. A slight finish of sweetness of vanilla completes the tasting. At 14.4% alcohol it has enough to “pack a punch”. Their website lists the wine at $31.50/bottle. This wine is made from grapes from Yakima Valley, Washington and uses 100% Cabernet Franc grapes.
The Food and Wine Pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was chosen specifically for this meal at a neighbor’s house serving Baby Back Pork Ribs. Slow cooked on a Traeger at low heat for 4 ½ hours with both a handmade rub and BBQ sauce. Accompanied by roasted fresh vegetables, sautéed baby potatoes and a beautiful salad (unfortunately not shown). The wine with both its acidity and cherry flavors, softened and enveloped the pork and BBQ sauce perfectly with the meat just melting off the bones.
While not visiting Washington often, after this tasting experience, I would like to visit and taste their Syrah and Malbec wines.
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
https://store.camaraderiecellars.com/Wines/All-Wines