Wine Reviews

A youthful, plummy malbec with aromas of fresh plums, raspberries, nutmeg and violets. It’s medium- to full-bodied, clean and focused

This is a fresh and fruity cabernet franc. Blueberries, raspberries, sliced chiles and moss on the nose follow through to a medium palate. Fine, lightly sappy tannins.

Lots of sweet tobacco, dried meat, graphite and blackberry aromas follow through to a medium to full body, tight center palate and juicy fruit with solid and tight velvety tannins that are very long. Just a touch of wood at the end.

This midnight purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Francis opens with a mocha and red currant bouquet with hints of cedar and blackberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with integrated medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is a balanced, very smooth and concentrated. The flavor profile is an extracted blackberry and black currant blend with notes of gentle crushed stone and black licorice. I also detected hints of oolong tea and a touch of menthol. The finish is dry and its well-managed fine tannins drift away nicely. I would drink this very food friendly Cab in the near term

From the winery’s estate vineyard on Howell Mountain, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, all aged 22 months in 59% new French oak. Scents of mocha, tree bark, black cherries, raspberries and cherries mark the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is supple, lush and long, with ample concentration and some nicely ripe, softly dusty tannins on the lingering finish.