Today’s Cornerstone Cellars 2010 Stepping Stone Napa Valley Cabernet Franc is an entry-level offering from one of Napa Valley’s premier high-end Cabernet Sauvignon producers, Cornerstone Cellars. After a recent trip to their tasting room in Yountville in which we sampled a number of their wines, this was the one that we absolutely loved.

While a bit shy on first pour, this wine opens up *beautifully after given a chance to breathe. Very reminiscent of Bordeaux in flavor profile, with layers of grilled sweet plum and blackberry in balance with more earthy notes of sweet tobacco leaf and a fresh spring garden.

For lovers of Cab Franc, this is not one to miss.