2009 WA: Best Cab Franc

The lesser-known sister to Cabernet Sauvignon, the complex and delicious Cabernet Franc grape is usually used for adding earthiness and verve to a Bordeaux blend. But some Washington winemakers are discovering what French winemakers in the Loire Valley have known for centuries: Cabernet Franc has a personality that can stand on its own. And since this grape loves the weather on the warm hillsides of Washington’s Wahluke Slope and Walla Walla Valley, there are more wines for Cab Franc lovers to choose from. This year, we invited wineries to submit this varietal—voted our Best Emerging Varietal last year—and held a blind judging of two dozen Cabernet Francs. These five rose to the top, for their balance, complexity and varietal character, which can range widely, from cassis and berry notes, to tobacco, mushroom and forest floor aromas. We love these wines for their richness and character—we hope you will, too.

Fielding Hills 2005, Wahluke Slope, $30
A wine with big ripe blackberry and raspberry aromas, along with pencil lead, white pepper and desert sage. A bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot are blended in, and the big tannins of this young wine are offset by a creaminess on the palate, but with fresh acidity and a smooth, lush finish.
East Wenatchee; 509.884.2221; Fieldinghills.com

Beresan 2006, Walla Walla Valley, $29
Big plum, blackberry and black licorice aromas dominate this wine. On the palate, spice, chocolate and solid tannins balance the fruit from the Waliser Vineyard with its rocky riverbed soil on the Beresan estate south of Walla Walla.
Walla Walla, 4169 Peppers Bridge Road; 509.522.2395; beresanwines.com

Townshend Cellar 2003, Columbia Valley, $27.95
A supple mouthful of bright, fresh plum and raspberry, this wine has aromas of leather and tobacco, as it is an older vintage, and shows how well Cabernet Franc can age and maintain its fruit, tannin structure and balance.
Colbert; 16112 N Greenbluff Road; 509.238.1400; townshendcellar.com