2021 Darioush Napa Valley Cabernet Franc
The exuberant 2021 Cabernet Franc wears its heart on its sleeve with effusive varietal aromas and flavors of black plum, tangy dark raspberry and fragrant notes of thyme, sage, and sandalwood. At the core of the open-knit fruit flavors is a firm spine of polished tannins that give this generous wine a serious side. Adding to the complex and harmonious midpalate are notes of black licorice, dried fig, and hibiscus tea with fresh ginger.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot,Cabernet Franc and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Darioush, a winery noted for its Bordeaux style estate wines, implements old world labor-intensive, micro-vineyard management and new world state of the art technology to craft fine wines from its estates located in the appellations of Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder and Oak Knoll. Under the direction of Darioush Khaledi and winemaker Steve Devitt, precision and quality are of the utmost importance at the winery.