cabernet franc wine
Yates Family Vineyard Visit – Grand Sweepstakes Winner of the 6th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition – Part II
Background:
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Yates Family Vineyards entered the 2025 6th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition at the beginning of year. I had not heard of them, but everyone is invited to enter. Mary Yates filled out the form and submitted the wines at the last minute but still qualifying. The competition was held and as a first-time entrant, Yates Family Vineyards not only took the Best of Category ($71 to $85), Best of Show for all California (all price points) but also the Grand Sweepstakes Winner for all categories against a field of about 100 wines from 14 states and 3 countries from a distinguished panel of professional judges. A magnificent feat! I finally carved out the time to meet with the Yates Family team in early May. Besides the excellent wines, the surprises will amaze you!
The Winery:
The hilly terrain of Mt Veeder and their vineyard with old fashion screw press on property
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Yates Family Vineyard is in the southern portion of Napa Valley in the Mt Veeder district. I wrote about their rich and extremely interesting history in a previous post (Part I). The details can be found at on their history, winery, winemaker and gorgeous vineyards at: https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/05/08/yates-family-vineyards-visit-grand-sweepstakes-winner-of-the-6th-annual-international-cabernet-franc-competition/
One of the more fascinating points of construction of the original winery built in 1880 was the use of a Roman Press. Only two are in existence today in California and neither are being used. Details in original story.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
There is a funny background story to how they started making Cabernet Franc. Lynn, Mike Yates’ wife, very much appreciated the intricacies of Cabernet Franc and asked him to make some. Mike obliged her and said whether it was good or bad that the one barrel produced was hers to drink if they couldn’t sell it!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Cabernet Franc is produced using 50% new French oak barrels with medium toast, for 18 months. Then rested in the bottle for 2 years before being released! Mike is not a fan of pyrazines in his Cabernet Franc, so this is a smoother and silkier finish. It comes in at 15.1% alcohol and only 126 cases were produced. It sells for $80/bottle when available.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes the wine is a deep cavernous dark and alluring color almost black. On the nose fragrant floral aromas waft into the senses. Aromas of raspberry and blackberries are dominant and beckon that first sip. Once in the mouth, a symphony of flavors swirl about and present a unique taste of the rich dark & red fruits but also with distinct layers and textures similar to a Monet painting. Secondary flavors of blueberry and finishing off with a tinge of vanilla make for an incredible tasting experience. The finish has very defined tannins which tingle the upper teeth and tongue initially and then settle down to a silky and mouth filling landing.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Truly one of the best Cabernet Franc wines I have tasted. Without a doubt it made my annual Best Wines Tasted for 2025!
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
Paired this evening with a 24-hour marinated Tri-tip steak in Chaka suace seared at 1500 degrees and barbequed to medium rare. Served with fresh parsley and accompanied by sauteed asparagus with mushrooms. Also roasted Russet potato slices seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. A beautiful food and wine pairing!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2022 Cuvée St E by J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines – A Special Blend
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery and Background
50 years ago Jerry Lohr set out to find all the elements of a great “terroir”, climate, soil and location. He found two regions, one in Monterey County, specifically the Arroyo Seco area. The other being Paso Robles. The cool climate and the development of the vineyards were paramount. Today, J. Lohr has more than 1,400 acres of vineyards. His “go to wines” are Chardonnay, Riesling, Valdiguié and Pinot Noir. Additionally, they have added 30 plus acres in Napa Valley. The winery now offers seven tiers of award-winning wines.
On a personal note, in my mid-twenties, I cut my teeth on J. Lohr Chardonnay as my choice for social occasions. I mistakenly long ago abandoned J. Lohr until December 2022. At a dinner party at a residence in Paso Robles, I was sitting across the table from a most knowledgeable and gracious man, Steve Peck. As we struck up a conversation, I found out he was the VP of Winemaking for J. Lohr for both the Paso Robles and San Jose operations. He quietly pointed out that while J. Lohr is a commercial winery, they do have many brands highlighting artisan varietals and small boutique production lots.
See a previous story written on a visit to J. Lohr in Paso Robles at:
After a subsequent visit and extensive tasting experience, I fully appreciate the quality of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The composition of this year’s wine was 69% Cabernet Franc, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. The grapes were handpicked, and the skins were left on juice for 8 days of maceration. The wine was in 225-liter French oak barrels for 18 months. The wine came in at 15.2% alcohol. Age ability is listed at 2034 and only 639 cases were produced. Price is only $50/bottle and was rated 95 points by Wine Enthusiast!
When opening the wine, the coloring was a deep dark color with enticing purple and red hues with a medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose, aromas of ripe blueberry waft into the senses. On the palate, the wine shouted out a light and mellow pipe tobacco, with mocha and dark fruit compote of the aforementioned fruits. The finish was epic with vanilla, not sweet, just pronounced, followed with defined chewy tannins that drifted to the edges of the mouth and then calmly disappeared with a mid-length residual flavoring that preceded. Minimal pyrazines (green bell peppers), mostly just silky smoothness.
This wine will make my annual list of Best Wines Tasted for 2025, both for quality and value.
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
Pulled this evening to pair with a seared and BBQ’ed filet mignon seasoned and served medium rare. Accompanied by a Yukon Gold potato and sauteed snap peas. A fantastic food paired with the fruit and tannins of this gorgeous wine.
Sláinte,
Michael