Halcyon Wines

Camino Alto Cabernet Franc 2019

Sierra Foothills

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The head trained Cabernet Franc vines of the Camino Alto Vineyard have been lovingly tended by the same family for the last 40 years. An incredibly unique site in the Sierra Foothills it has offered us one of the most beautiful expressions of Cabernet Franc that we have come across yet.

Vineyard

A rolling hilled vineyard set at 2500′ in the Sierra Foothills, the volcanic red clay soils in the Camino Alto Vineyard are a site to see. With crazy diurnal temperatures, the grapes mature in long even fashion. Grape skins thicken by breezes created from constant weather variability adding tannin and structure to the wine.

Winemaking

Grapes are hand-picked and fermented with native yeasts in neutral French oak barrels. The wine is aged 12 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Tasting Notes

Juicy dark cherry and damson plum are balanced by sage, violet, and subtle poblano pepper notes. This wine brings the savory and taut characteristics of Loire-styled Cab Franc into harmony with the juiciness of California’s forgotten Cabernet Franc vineyards.

Food Pairing

This wine pairs beautifully with seared duck breast, sage-rubbed lamb chops, roasted beets, and grilled portobello mushrooms.

Color

Red

Grape Varieties

Cabernet Franc

Appellation

Sierra Foothills

Farming

Sustainable

Alcohol

13.4%

Suggested Retail Price

$30

Reviews

"Uncomplicated Elegance"

Jim Gordon - January 7, 2022

"This focused, concentrated and pure-tasting wine celebrates the grape variety's natural red- and black-fruit flavors and enticing accents of bay leaf and black olive. It is well balanced, firmly textured with fine-grained tannins and only subtly oaky, giving it an uncomplicated elegance."

Other Wines by this Producer

Blanc of Cabernet Franc

Contra Costa County

A delightfully surprising white wine made from 100% Cabernet Franc, the Halcyon Blanc of Cabernet Franc is incredibly fresh, fragrant, and versatile. After years of extracting a slight orange color from Cabernet Franc when trying to make rosé, Tyler decided to go rogue and just press the skins directly. The result was a clear and brilliant white wine that has quickly become a favorite.

California Cabernet Franc

California

A light red blended from two vineyards, this Cabernet Franc is emblematic of a "glou glou" style, with low alcohol, very little tannin, and pops of juicy red fruit character.