This is the seventh vintage of Lang & Reed ‘Two-Fourteen’ Cabernet Franc, which displays a brilliant crimson color with a typical, youthful violet-blue edge. The aroma distills white and red cherry with an ethereal ‘sous bois’ (or forest floor) impression.

On the palate, this wine possesses bright and pure Cabernet Franc flavors of firm black cherry, cassis and graphite, which are expansive and made mouthwatering by ample fresh fruit acidity.

The finish is supported by solid, but not oppressive, tannins, which have flavor elements that provide memorable length.

This is a fresh and exacting expression of Cabernet Franc, attributed to the 214 clone, that will serve well now or gain in complexity with additional bottle age.

Vineyard Notes

In the last century, when we began our exploration into Cabernet Franc, we did so with a constant sense of resolve to stay keenly aware of all things ‘Cabernet Franc’. So it was with this resolve that we investigated and worked to understand the source material, the clonal selections as they were evolving throughout the 1990’s.

The choice of Cabernet Franc clones before this time was minimal, but, in those roaring 90’s, a number of great clones made their way into the vineyards of California. One of these unique selections was Clone Entav 214, a cultivar that originated in the Loire Valley of France, home to some of the world’s most renowned Cabernet Franc vineyards and producers.

In 2007, we discovered the Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in one of the coolest locations in Napa Valley. Here, on this rocky promontory that overlooks the northern reaches of San Francisco Bay, the warm California sunshine alternates with the cool breezes of the Pacific Ocean, providing an ideal location for Clone 214 to express it finest characteristics.