Tasting Note

2005 Luna Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet FrancVineyard – The grapes for our 2005 Cabernet Franc were handpicked from an east-facing vi... (more...)neyard on the back side of Howell Mountain. It sits at an elevation of 600 feet, on a sloped, terraced hillside with a unique microclimate, high above the morning fog. A constant abundance of sunshine throughout the day ripens the grapes to full maturity. Cool evening breezes roll over the lake that sits at the base of the vineyard. By late afternoon the hillside shades the hot afternoon sun, allowing the fruit to retain its natural acidity. After waiting out a beautiful October, we were able to pick this fruit on October 25, a full week after we had picked the last of our Cabernet Sauvignon.Winemaking- Once the grapes were picked, we allowed a very warm fermentation with native yeasts, to extract the maximum of flavor and tannins. This technique unites the flavors and textures of the wine at the height of fermentation. Cabernet Sauvignon was blended to add some spine and lift to the mid-palate. After sixteen months in eighty percent new French oak barrels, the wine was bottled in February 2007, without fining or filtration.Tasting Notes – The 2005 Luna Vineyards Cabernet Franc is scented with espresso, milk chocolate, blueberry, and black cherry. The entry is intense, with high notes of fig and plum. The mid-palate is plush with currant, anise, tobacco, and cedar. Flavors of sweet black fruits and chocolate-covered beans make for an exquisite finish. We expect this exceptional wine to continue improving over the next decade.Blend: 95% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet SauvignonBuy Now!!