Cabernet Franc Day lands on December 4th each year and we believe it’s the perfect occasion (and wine!) to kick off the Holiday Season!

Cabernet Franc is certainly lovely year-round. But, there’s just something about this time of year when we pull on a sweater, get cozy by the fire, and enjoy a balanced red wine that has the elegance and ethereal essence of a Pinot Noir but with the structure, spice, and just a little bit… more… for savoring when we want something more generous (without being a blatant over-extracted fruit bomb!). Is that asking for too much? Of course not! That’s why Cabernet Franc is the perfect red wine for such yearnings!

We celebrated Cabernet Franc Day this year by enjoying and discussing a few Cabernet Franc icons! I went LIVE on Instagram with my husband, Asa, for a conversation about three particular Cabernet Franc icons from a single vintage – 2016. This was the next logical step in a virtual Cabernet Franc journey we started last year when we hosted a virtual Master Class on Cabernet Franc and wine aging, collecting and investing. It was an informative prequel to this year’s discussion on specific iconic Cabernet Franc wines meant for aging, collecting and even investing!

We tasted a flight of three iconic Cabernet Franc Wines from the 2016 vintage from our three favorite regions:  Tuscany, the Loire Valley and Southern Oregon!

And what a lineup it was!

2016 Marchesi Antinori Tenuta Guado Al Tasso “Matarocchio Bolgheri” Superiore (av price $549/bottle).

2016 Clos Rougeard “Le Clos”, Saumur-Champigny (av price $256/bottle).

2016 Leah Jørgensen Cellars, “Grand Reserve”, Rogue Valley (av price $75/bottle).

If you want to find out what we discovered in this incredible tasting, you can visit us on Instagram and track the December 4th IG LIVE video. It’s worth a watch! We were visited by the Cab Franc Master Educator herself, Allison Slute, from @cabfrancchronicles !

The “Grand Reserve” and “Le Clos” wines were side-by-side stand outs! The point was not to blow our own horns, but to drive the point that we are making world class Cabernet Franc that belongs in the same line up as two truly iconic wines and that we significantly underprice our most focused, “superiore” wine from our cellar.

It’s astonishing to me that my reserve tiered wines are priced at such an extreme value compared to these other luminary wines. As I begin to restructure my business, this will not continue for long. My reserve wines will be sold differently and I will begin to raise prices based on scarcity (only 26 cases made of my “Grand Reserve” annually (!!!) and for what’s in the bottle. This includes my library wines. I will begin to raise prices on those wines, as well.

I want to be clear. I did not come running out of the gate with inflated prices for my Cabernet Franc – quite the opposite! A couple wine critics wrote to me to inform me that I had seriously underpriced my wines. Over twelve years later, I feel justified in adjusting my prices to reflect the hard work, dedication, passion and skill that I have carefully put into each bottle. This wines are special and the pricing will soon reflect that.

So, coming full circle to the idea of wine for the holidays – there are several indicators for what makes an excellent red wine this time of year. Personally, I love to pull out the special bottles during this time of year that are approachable, aged a bit, offering length, balance and an exquisite representation of a vintage. I love getting dressed up, making some of our most favorite foods, going out to our most favorite restaurants, and breaking bread with loved ones. This means we’re opening up bottles we have on reserve in our cellar. Those who know me well know I rarely open up my own wine for dinners and special occasions – unless it’s requested of me. Instead, I love to pull out and share the “Clos Rougeards”, the “Guado al Tassos”, the Steven Kent Winery “Lineage Collection” bottles – all Cabernet Francs, all fabulous with a myriad of cuisines, all offering the elegance, ethereal subtleties we long for with a little extra…

We are now officially closed for the holidays, so if you wish to pick up my reserve wines you will have to wait until the New Year. I recommend ordering what’s available online right now. They will get shipped in the early New Year. But, please know these wines will not be available at their current price points for much longer. You may find limited bottles of “Clos Rogue Valley” online with other fine wine merchants. The “Grand Reserve” is only available through my retail channel. I strongly suggest getting in touch with me in early January to get on my Collector’s List for my “Clos Rogue Valley” and “Grand Reserve” wines moving forward – for all library, current and futures selections. Just email me at info@ljcwineco.com.