2021 Fanatic Wine Co., Clarksburg Cabernet Franc

It’s not always the Bordeaux model in California: This bouncy red is light, juicy, and unquestionably Loire-inspired. The Clarksburg AVA is just a few miles south of Sacramento, California. The region’s 7,000 acres of vines are planted in dense clay/loam soils along the Sacramento River. The hallmark of this terroir is the intense wind and fog generated by the San Francisco Bay that moves up the Sacramento Delta, providing a balance of warm days and cooler evenings—conditions not unlike those found in France’s Central Loire Valley, where Cabernet Franc thrives. The intent from the start here was to produce a juicy, lighter-weight Cabernet Franc that captures its violet-scented aromatics and red/black fruit without an overly heavy bell pepper component. Grapes were fully destemmed at harvest and subjected to a relatively short maceration in stainless steel during fermentation. The finished wine was aged in “neutral” (i.e. used) oak barrels for six months before bottling. Fanatic Wine Co