Keenan Upper Bowl Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2018
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Spirits
Wine & -
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
“Freakishly good” is how Keenan Winery describes this single-vineyard Cabernet Franc from our highest elevation vineyard (approx. 2000') aptly named the "Upper Bowl". Cabernet Franc is simply not supposed to be this delicious. Enjoy now or decades from now.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This ele-gant cabernet franc grows at Keenan’s high- est vineyard parcel, reaching an elevation of 2,000 feet. It developed ripe green-fig flavors and scents of tobacco leaf, the structure firm and airy, leaving room for food. It lasts with an earthy, red-fruit savor, still tight and built to age.
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James Suckling
Blackcurrants, blackberry jam, walnuts, earth and dried herbs on the nose. Salted olives, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, fine tannins and rich, savory character. Drink after 2022.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Keenan Upper Bowl Vineyard Cabernet Franc is bright, aromatic, and lasting. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows classic aromas and flavors of black fruit and dried earth. Enjoy it with pan-fried duck gizzards in a mix of garden lettuces. (Tasted: May 30, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
Other Vintages
2020-
Suckling
James
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Suckling
James
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Parker
Robert
While the beauty and history of the land are appealing, it is the richness of the soils that makes the hillside perfect for an estate winery. These soils are, in great measure, responsible for the dramatic intensity of the fruit associated with the ultra-premium wines produced at Robert Keenan Winery.
Keenan completed a solar power system on their property that went on-line in 2007. The system supplies all of the estate’s energy needs, including the winery, administrative offices, visitor hospitality area, and the homes located on the property. The Napa Valley Vintners have recognized Keenan as a “green” winery, which they proudly announce on the back labels: Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.