Our whole tasting panel went crazy for today’s wine, but when they found out that the wine had a sub-$25 price tag, they went completely bonkers. Today’s Dark Star 2016 Paso Robles Cabernet Franc is a wine that is so darkly rich, dense, and concentrated that it coats the palate in rich, delicious, flavors.

We guarantee that you’ll love it! If you don’t we’ll buy it back - and drink it ourselves!

By sight, this wine shows off liquid garnet in the glass, reflecting the light like the gemstone itself. Underneath the fruit components of black currants, fruitcake, and plum compote are complex aromas of baking chocolate and match box. Aficionados of Cab Franc will fall in love with this one. It’s got huge mocha, coffee, chocolate-dipped strawberry, blackberry, and sandalwood flavors. Like liquid chocolate, the wine courses over the palate with a slow viscosity, giving it ample time to make a dramatic impression. You couldn’t find a better companion to traditional Oaxacan mole sauce covering roasted chicken.

This is a wine that almost wasn’t. Winemaker Michael Emling originally grew Cabernet Franc as a blending component that was meant to enhance his Ricordati Bordeaux Blend, a wine that has earned more Gold Medals in its history than almost any other wine in the region. Michael decided that the Cabernet Franc was so good that he bottled today’s 100% Cab Franc all on its own. Wow, are we glad that he did!