Leah Jørgenson was originally lured to Oregon by the Pinot Noirs of the Willamette Valley, but her focus shifted southward, to the Umpqua and Rogue Valleys and the Cabernet Franc grape. Southern Oregon is a little warmer, and its soils are a little different, and in her embrace of Cabernet Franc Leah didn’t leave her Willamette Valley experience (Erath, Adelsheim, Shea) behind—she strives for finesse and terroir transparency, the result being a Cab Franc that channels the best examples from France’s Loire Valley.

Jørgenson de-stems all the fruit but subjects it to a light crushing, so that some whole berries remained intact. The finished wine is aged in a combination of mostly neutral French oak and stainless steel tanks. For a young, fresh red, this is also a beautifully integrated and complex red—marked not just by concentrated dark fruit but a smooth, silken texture. 

There’s only the slightest hint of “green” here; this wine is much more about dark fruit and warm spice, including Morello cherry, blackberry, pomegranate, cranberry, violets, black pepper, anise, and ground coffee. It is medium-bodied, with soft tannins and a tangy, mouth-watering freshness that will sustain it for the next several years. Pair with rare burgers or some sausage and lentil stew.