The wine that caught our attention this week is a wonderful Cabernet Franc from Castillo's Hillside Shire in Morgan Hill California. The labels here are just simply works of art as well as being really interesting.Nate Castillo says of the Cabernet Franc label that "Music is the biggest part of my life, so here we have Frank, a musician engaging in his favorite pass-time."
This is the 2009 but the 2008 was judged at San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition awards Best in Class and this 2009 is a really nice drop as well.
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties grown worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style but has also become a fairly common stand alone varietal as well. This is a bright pale red wine that has finesse and a light peppery perfume and hints of tobacco, raspberry, blueberry, bell pepper and violets. It is well balanced and can be enjoyed on its own or with just about any food with a hint to a bit of spiciness to it. This is a **** wine that rates a 6-7.
Head on over to the Hillside Shire and find your favorite and let us know what it is. While your there say g'day to Nate and let him know we sent you.
Happy Wine Adventures,
Cheers,
WineWalkabout.net
Kiwi & Koala
As a winery that produces Cab Franc, we have appreciated the Cab Franc grape as a stand alone for quite some time. Being one of the genetic parents of Cab Sauv, it has many similar traits, but with the thinner skins adds less acidity. We are thrilled to see it is becoming more and more popular on its own.
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