2022 Cabernet Franc

Bright, linear Cabernet Franc with savory lift and a natural affinity for the table.

VIEW TECHNICAL SHEET →

THE PLACE
Dineen sits on a south-facing slope above Zillah in the Rattlesnake Hills, with stony silt loam over caliche and naturally low-vigor ground. The site gives Cabernet Franc line, aromatic lift, and a composed finish.

TASTING NOTES
Red currant and black cherry lead, followed by a cool ribbon of crushed herbs. Fine tannins and lifted acidity keep the wine precise, with a savory undertone that stays grounded. With air, a faint graphite edge emerges and the finish lengthens. The kind of bottle that quietly disappears with food.

PAIRINGS
• Lamb with rosemary and garlic
• Sausage with lentils or white beans
• Roast chicken with herbs
• Grilled vegetables with chimichurri

IN THE CELLAR
• Harvested Oct 10; destemmed and sorted
• Three-day cold soak; foot-crushed
• Native open-top fermentation; two punchdowns daily
• Four weeks on skins
• 24 months in neutral French oak on gross lees; no racking until bottling
• Bottled unfined and unfiltered; 15 months bottle rest before release

IN YOUR GLASS
Pour it with food, give it a little air, and let it sharpen into focus.

Of the three, I think the Merlot page benefits most from the rewrite. The final-harvest story is genuinely interesting, and now it gets enough prominence without overwhelming the wine itself.