100% Cabernet Franc

The Wine: The 2003 DARE Cabernet Franc has a purple-red core with a ruby-red rim. The lifted aromatics exhibit red plums, raspberry and ripe bing cherry supported by secondary notes of east Indian spice and cardamon. On the palate, the wine shows a plush entry that leads to a well-defined mid-palate and a long, textured finish. This Cabernet Franc is great to enjoy now by itself but it can also compliment many of your favorite meals.

Released: October 15, 2005

Harvest:

Growing Notes: The 2003 growing season was very unpredictable. It began with a series of early heat spikes in March, followed by the wettest April on record. A long cool summer allowed the fruit flavors to evolve beautifully ahead of the sugar accumulation. In September we experienced various heat spikes which helped move the harvest forward after many felt it would be a late harvest. The first plantings of Cabernet Franc on the VIADER estate occurred in 1987 and form an integral part of our proprietary wine. The fruit for the DARE Cabernet Franc is sourced from our own estate vineyards and from Jan Krupp’s Stagecoach Vineyard which sits on the upper surface of the Vaca Mountain Range above Oakville.

Production: 1000

Winemaking Notes: At Viader, the Cabernet Franc grapes receive the same treatment as the proprietary wines; extended cold soaking, warm fermentations, extended macerations on the skins for 45-60 days and malolactic fermentation occurs in barrel. As we intend this wine to be drunk earlier than the VIADER, the wine is aged on primary lees for 6 months before being racked and blended to impart mid-palate weight and texture. The Cabernet Franc remains tucked away in our underground caves for the next 14 months in 100% French Oak barrels to complete the process.

Tasting Notes: 2003 DARE Cabernet Franc is sourced from small selected blocks from Stagecoach vineyards in the Oakville appellation of the Napa Valley as well as our own Cabernet Franc grown on our Viader estate on Howell Mountain. The wine is aged on primary lees for 6 months before being racked and blended to impart mid-palate weight and texture. The lifted aromatcs exhibit red plums, raspberry and bing cherry supported by secondary notes of east Indian spices and cardamom. The wine shows a plush entry that leads to a well-defined mid-palate and a long, textured finish