Murphy Vineyards

2005 Cabernet Franc
(Sierra Foothills)

Back in 2009 a Best of Appellation review of wines submitted from Murphy Vineyards isolated this 2005 Cabernet Franc as a double gold wine of the Sierra Foothills AVA. Clark Smith, BOA Director, wrote the following tasting notes from the review:
Medim dark ruby color. Distinctive varietal aromas of cinnamon, olive, plum and sage. Good acidity, ripe but elegant flavors, not too intense. Spiced plum, firm tannins with still a little grip. Clean, long and delicate, with sassafras in the finish. (100 cases, 13.5% alc)
Coming forward to 2012 we have learned a bit more about the sourcing of this Cabernet Franc fruit (80% of the wine, with Syrah from the Auburn area blended at 15%) from the Clos du Lac community in the Loomis area of Placer County (Sierra Foothills) at roughly the 500 foot elevation.

Clos du Lac is a very unique development on 200 acres with 88 homesites and 30 acres set aside for community vineyards, which are professionally manage and planted to Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Mourvedre. Gamay Noir and Counoise have been planted to one private plot.

This wine is getting as close to a European Village as might be considered possible in California and certainly shows that sense of terrior or appellation expression possibly found in Europe. A very interesting follow on to our original look in 2009. We understand the wine is still available from Murphy Vineyards, based in Napa.

Reviewed April 4, 2012 by Roger King.