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Vinoce, Mount Veeder Cabernet Franc

California, United States 2014 (750mL)
$79.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Vinoce, Mount Veeder Cabernet Franc

Bordeaux is not only about Cabernet Sauvignon and neither is the Napa Valley. High up on Mount Veeder, Brian and Lori Nuss of Vinoce grow as much Cabernet Franc as they do Sauvignon, and their belief in the variety as a featured player is validated by today’s exquisite 2014.
The deep layers of fruit and velvety tannins of Vinoce’s Cabernet Franc-dominant blend leave little doubt as to its Napa origins, but its kinship to some of the Franc-heavy greats of Bordeaux’s Right Bank—Cheval-Blanc, Lafleur, Jean Faure—is unmistakable. Sourced from the acclaimed “Pym Rae” vineyard, which Brian Nuss helped develop (and which was recently sold to the Tesseron family of Château Pontet-Canet of Bordeaux), this wine has all the pedigree a Bordeaux/Napa lover could ask for, resulting in a wine that is far from your garden-variety “cult” red. It doesn’t lack for body, it has a lot of richness to the fruit, but its impeccable balance reminds me of high-altitude gems from classic producers on the same mountainside, perhaps a slightly more modern version of Mayacamas or Philip Togni. Like the Right Bank classics that inspired it, Vinoce pulls Cabernet Franc out of the shadows and puts it on center stage. What a find—only about 300 cases were produced, so we’re excited to have a little to share with you today!
Brian Nuss’s work as a contractor brought him into the orbit of the late actor/comedian Robin Williams, for whom Brian built a home on Mount Veeder many years ago. When Williams decided to plant vineyards on his estate, called Pym Rae, Brian was enlisted to oversee their development, but there was only one problem: He’d never developed a vineyard before. Well-known viticulturist and winemaker Robert Craig (then of the Hess Collection), one of Brian’s mentors, lent a hand in the effort, creating one of the great sources of mountain-grown Cabernet in the Valley. Brian founded his own label, Vinoce, in 1996 with four vineyard blocks equally split between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon—up in the northern-most corner of the Mount Veeder AVA, at altitudes exceeding 2,000 feet.

Mount Veeder is part of the Mayacamas Range, on the west side of the Napa Valley at the Sonoma County border. It was once a seabed that was pushed upward during the formation of the mountains, lending it a unique soil structure of marine sediments such as shale and sandstone. There is some volcanic material, as in most of the other mountain appellations of the Napa Valley, but it is not the primary feature; topsoils are very thin, vineyard pitches are very steep, and most of the mountain remains covered in forest. For all the polish of the Vinoce 2014, there’s also a profound mineral component and freshness derived from a cooler, longer growing season. The combination of power and focus is memorable: Unlike a lot of Napa reds that can tire you out after one glass, this one was energetic and engaging over the course of a long meal.

Comprised of 85% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot aged 18 months in 60% new French oak, the 2014 Vinoce has a deep, nearly opaque ruby-black core extending to the rim. It’s a heady, powerful red, with aromas of crushed blackberry, black and red plum, cacao, cedar, forest floor, and subtle oak spice. It is dense and full-bodied but with a refreshing wave of acidity that keeps the alcohol in check and drives an aromatic, savory finish. The tannins are fine and a little dusty, lending grip and framing the ample dark fruit, and if you open one now, give it an hour in a decanter before serving at 60 degrees in Bordeaux stems. This would make a great choice to ring in the start of winter with a saucy steak au poivre, and it’s certainly got the stuffing for 10+ years of aging in your cellar. It’s one of the more uniquely delicious California reds I’ve tried in a while—I think you’ll feel the same. Cheers!
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Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesNapa Valley—Mt. Veeder
Soil
Shale & Sandstone w/ some Volcanic
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Cabernet Franc 85%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Merlot 5%
Alcohol
15.0
OAK
60% New French
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Bordeaux Stems
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
60 Minutes
Pairing
Steak au Poivre

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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