Bordeaux Style Wines
2013 YoungInglewood Right Bank Blend – A Birthday Treat!
Photo from YoungInglewood Website
The Winery
This small winery is best-known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and “Bordeaux blends”, as they are situated on historic vineyard land in St. Helena, California. However, they’ve got a passion for several white wines like Chardonnay, Vin Clair and a rare Aligoté that is oak aged. One of the most enjoyable aspects of visiting YoungInglewood Winery is not just the tasting of exquisite wines, but partaking in intelligent, purposed and thoughtful discussion of wine.
To begin with, the owners Jim and Jacky Young met while in college and shared a passion/drive with wine. Jim and Jacky bought a historic piece of land in southern St Helena and have today all five Bordeaux varietals planted. It is truly a family winery with Jim handling the operations and Jacky and son Scott, being the co-winemakers on property. Their daughter, Mary helps in the operations as well as providing an occasional flute recital.
Their time spent in Europe cultivated a real sense of old-world wines and that is exactly how they construct both their red and white wines. They like to describe themselves as presenting “old world non-interventionist” winemaking techniques. It surely shows in their incredible wines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I seldom talk about wine labels but theirs is the exception. This label is one of the simplest yet says so much about their wine with the balancing of the tightrope walker. This is a paradigm for balance in the fruit, tannins, acidity and color. A little too much of any one item, and a misstep happens. Even deeper is their aspiring sense of balance in life, starting in the vineyards with organic and sustainable practices.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
You can read previous stories:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/16/younginglewood/
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2021/04/06/younginglewood-2014-malbec-and-portuguese-sausage/
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Pulled this bottle out of the cellar the other night to enjoy watching a movie on my birthday. While the movie was entertaining (Made in Italy on Amazon), the wine shined from the ten years wait! The wine is from their estate fruit. Barreling was 100% French oak with 40% being new barrels and aged 21 months. The blend used 86% Cabernet Franc and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and only 136 cases produced. It came in at 14.5% alcohol level. Each year the percentage mix and grapes are varied based on the winemaker and what nature provides.
On the eyes an alluring and dark concoction with red and purple highlights with medium to medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose aromatics of raspberries and dark fruits. On the palate, this is one of the quintessential Cabernet Franc’s with hints of blackberries, strawberries and only a faint trace of pyrazines. The finish provided silky and rounded tannins, a soft earthiness. Truly a remarkable and elegant Cabernet Franc. The current vintage is 2022 and it retails for $130/bottle.
No food and wine pairing as we were still recovering from a large lunch compliments of my sister!
This wine will make my list for Best Wines Tasted in 2026 for sure. Treat yourself to a visit to YoungInglewood Winery as each wine is purposed and handcrafted. It was indeed a beautiful birthday treat!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly