The old Cabernet Franc vines at Frediani Vineyards have been a staple for us since 2009, and these beauties just keep giving the goods - powerful, detailed, aromatic wines. Planted in a gravel patch at the end of the alluvial fan that stretches along Pickett Road at the foot of Simmons Canyon, the dry-farmed vines struggle for water and have small berries and clusters. As a result, the wines are always dense and concentrated, and 2023 might be the most intense yet, showcasing the vintage's deep fruit and flavors. With a ruby purple color in the glass, the aromatics are very Cab Franc with raspberry, dark cherry, set stones, bourbon vanilla, five-spice and a touch of sage. The huge palate resounds with intense fruit and deep, powerful layers of flavor, surrounded by copious fine tannins that carry the finish.
The 2023 The Prior is a blend of 88% Cabernet Franc and 12% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of shaking to wake up notes of juicy blueberries, kirsch, and red currant preserves, followed by hints of rose oil, cardamom, and pencil shavings. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is jam-packed with red and blue fruit layers, framed by a firm, grainy texture and amazing tension, finishing with epic length.
A super-pure, laser-focused wine that's linear, balanced and firm but silky around the edges. Blueberries, creme de cassis, spearmint, blackcurrants, cocoa and minerals. It's elegant, silky, concentrated, polished, cool and composed. Powdery, fine-grained tannins. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.
Based on 88% Cabernet Franc and 12% Petit Verdot from old vines planted in the 1980s at the end of Pickett Road and aged 21 months in 100% new French oak, the 2023 Cabernet Franc The Prior offers red and black fruits, smoke, tobacco, loamy earth, and graphite. It's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, focused, graceful mouthfeel with plenty of power and richness, building tannins, and a great finish. With roughly 166 cases produced, give it 2-4 years of bottle age and it will see its 20th birthday in fine form. Drink 2027-2045.
