The 2021 Patrimony Cabernet Franc displays a luscious dark purple-red hue with fruit-driven aromas of boysenberry and black cherry pie, all interwoven with alluring accents of black pepper, charred meat, sage, tobacco and sweet oak. A full-bodied palate delivers flavors of muddled berries, mocha and Cajun spices across a canvas of fresh acidity, while well-rounded tannins bring staying power to a beautifully balanced finish. A wine that reveals the staggering potential of Cabernet Franc from the Patrimony Estate.

The Patrimony aging program is built around the most coveted barrels that are accessible only through personal relationships with top cooperages. Collectively, these barrels provide for seamless oak integration and staggering complexity over a maturation period of 30 months, all without encroaching upon the pure qualities of our DAOU Mountain fruit: ANA Jupille 3-year barrel, PATRIMONY 5-year custom Bois Rosé barrel, and Seguin Moreau ICÔNE Elegance.

The 2021 growing season was preceded by a dry winter, with only one large storm system that provided considerable rainfall in February. A period of light rain in July also replenished the soil with much-needed moisture. While the summer season was marked by periodic heat waves, the weather cooled down by mid-August and remained that way through harvest. This cooling trend allowed the fruit to enjoy exceptional hang time. In the end, low yields and small berries provided wines with fine balance and vivid varietal flavors.

The phenolics produced on this mountain are known to be among the highest in the world, fostering an immensity of color, depth, and structure. To extract the purest and most elevated expression of this terroir, purposeful omission is required. Only select vineyard rows are chosen for PATRIMONY cultivation. By the time the fruit is aggressively thinned, optically sorted, and used only for its free-run juice, a minimal percentage of the total potential yield meets the exacting standard we set for PATRIMONY. Fermentation proceeds exclusively with wild yeasts cultured from DAOU Mountain, imbuing the wine with native texture and character.