Frank Family Vineyards

Frank Family Vineyards with its main facility at the old Kornell Champagne Cellars on Larkmead Lane south of Calistoga and on Highway 29 north of Yountville has quite a pedigree. Without vineyards of its own, Frank Family is co-owned by Napa Valley veteran Koerner Rombauer, he of Rombauer Vineyards, and Rich Frank, he a relatively new arrival to the valley.

The latter is a Hollywood mogul turned agent. Frank, who used to be the president of Disney and Paramount TV divisions, and headed up Comcast, now leads a talent agency among whose clients are Leonardo DiCaprio, Terri Hatcher, Cameron Diaz, Benicio del Toro and Geena Davis.

Hatcher and Davis have been auctioned off if you will, as part of Frank’s last two lots in Auction Napa Valley. Actually, the winning bidders received walk-on parts in “Desperate Housewives,” and the ill-fated “Commander in Chief,” which stars Hatcher and Davis, respectively. Both made appearances of their own at the last two Napa events.

Frank and Rombauer, however, leave the winemaking to Todd Graff, who fashioned this Zinfandel into a very stylish wine that is smooth and somewhat unctuous and alluring – not unlike some of Frank’s Tinseltown stars.  But in the end, this Zin is well-balanced with soft tannins. The listed alcohol percentage is high – 15.2 – but it’s what one would expect from a Napa Valley Zin, but the heat is tempered because the alcohol is fairly well integrated.

The wine spent 15 months in 35 percent new French oak and the remainder in once- and twice-filled barrels. There were 2,100 cases bottled and they’re going fast.

Reviewed June 22, 2006 by Alan Goldfarb.