Very good. Spot-on varietal character, with the proper level of green, tobacco-leafy, bell-peppery nuance to make it true to its kind. Very clean and precise, with good maturity (age) and balance; nothing standing out or in the way of enjoyment. I wish I had a case! Drunk on its own for two hours, and later to accompany shrimp Thai spring rolls with loads of fresh basil and cilantro.
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P&P and paired with steak. Dark color, with pronounced black fruits on the nose. Red and black fruits on the palate, with cedar/oak and a touch of bell pepper. Tannins fairly well integrated, and a reasonable amount of acid. Smooth, easy drinker. Seems well-made, but little complexity and not a lot of varietal distinctiveness. So-so for the $, not exciting, and does not appear to have changed much since previous bottle 1-2 years ago.
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Acidic and tart bright red fruit. Could not tolerate in and of itself. Desperately needs food in order to consume. WS compromised their credibility on this one.
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Found this in an antiques and wine shop in Manchester Village Vermont over the weekend. It is an excellent QPR and a great food wine (paired with a steak). The darkness and heft of the wine went well with the meat and just in the background could get maybe a touch of blackberry. It's got the cab franc tannin/greenness but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
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i had a bottle on 3/13 and thought it needed more time but was wrong. Had a bottle tonight and it's lost a lot. Still had a bit of berry fruit but way to much tobacco and bland tea flavors. I have one left and plan on having within a couple of weeks.
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Very dark red, can't see through it. Doesn't really even fade at edges of glass until the last little moment. Nose: very aromatic. Black fruits dominate with blackberry, bramble berry, and currant. Definitely some vegetal notes like bell pepper as well with cedar twigs and licorice. Palate: medium viscosity, fine grain tannin. Bit of heat but pleasantly balanced with lively fruit and medium acid. Fruit isn't as dark here, notes of blackberries remain but some raspberry enters. Cedar is present as well. Touch of smokiness of the BBQ variety. Just enough vegetal flavors to hit the earthiness fix. Velvety viscosity. Finish: The velvety viscosity gives way to drying, grainy tannins. Bit of heat develops, but not enough to be distracting or unpleasant. Acidity carries the fruit, though it turns into boysenberries. Smokiness sticks around, too. Overall a very nice wine with some interesting features. Great at its price point, but does leave you wanting the next stage of complexity which, incidentally, you can find in Andrew Will's more expensive bottlings.
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Gorgeous Cabernet Franc. Just a touch of green pepper on the nose is the perfect foil to dark, dense fruit and chewy tannins. The balance is superb here, with good acidity and firm tannins helping to temper the ripe blackberry and black cherry notes. Barrel spice adds a nice dimension. I would probably hold off on drinking this though, as several more years will do it well.
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Drinking well now. Lighter red, with some bricking on the rim; showcasing a more aged appearance than expected, although we rarely drink varietal cab franc so this might be the norm. Quite aromatic as expected from a cab franc; but with enough body to back it up while refraining from heavy tannins, extraction, or greenness. My wife preferred this more than I. Decent length on the finish but somewhat lacking in complexity.
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Medium intensity ruby. Red cherry, a hint of earth, and this bottle showing orange zest on the nose. Cherry (a little sour), menthol, medium body, finishing with a touch of acidity. How many Cabernet Franc 's do we store in the cellar, can't go wrong with AW.
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A lot of red fruit and acidity both on the nose and palate. Seemed initially thin mid palate and then filled out after about an hour. Needs some time. Will hold my others for awhile.
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Bright red cherry nose. Mostly bright red fruits with a touch of black. Plenty of acidty that makes this a joy to drink. There is some complexity submerged right now. I expect this wine to improve with time. Finish shows a serious level of tannin that isn't shown in the rest of the wine.
$32.99 OH retail www.austinbeeman.com
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I'd go with a 91. The wine has a great start but not a huge finish. It has some cab franc herbal but still a brightess that makes it so enjoyable. I have had better, but this is quite good
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Nice. Medium body, raspberry and strawberry notes, and a little smoke. I prefer my Cabernet Franc on the chalky side, which this is not, but, still a nice drinking bottle of wine.
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I hate when folks change their mind but I had a second bottling of the Andrew Will Cab Franc and it was substantially better. Candidly, when I drank the wine less than 30 days ago it was with pizza which may have detracted from much of the broad flavor profile of this wine. Alone, this wine carries dark red cherry to black cherry notes that literally pierce the mid palate and loiter on the back palate like a good buzz. The boy is mid to full with a darker color than is typical of Cab Franc. It also taste like this has a small percentage of southern Rhone varietals. Cheers!
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This bottling revealed the softer side of Washington Cab Franc after being open for an hour on a medium frame and a ruby red profile. The nose harkened to wild flower fields and bright red fruit that were a little muted on the palate. I was most impressed with how smooth the wine was which is atypical of Cabnernet Franc. This wine will likely improve with time and increase in score.
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Enjoyed with Judy at Zambrano's Wine Cellar in downtown Fort Worth - this wine is WAY too young to go right now. Listed as 89, but if given another 2 years in the bottle it's probably closer to 91 or 92. Took a little convincing to get the cork out of the bottle - probably because it was just put in!! Poured a light to medium body in the glass. Medium garnet red color, rather transparent. Looked like cherry Kool Aid. On the nose was classic floral, Hawthorne, lilac, jasmine. This reminded me of a Chinon Cab Franc we have at home, and definitely old world-ish. The entry was acidic, but was starting to express some Franc funk very early on. This turned to a red cherry, some licorice, cinnamon spice, that burned off into a rather soft finish for such a young wine, but the oak was definitely there in the finish as well and almost seemed to dominate. Finished with a hint of grit and raw, unrefined beauty. Love Cab Franc for just that reason, and this one didn't disappoint in this category. As the wine opened up, more of the red licorice started showing, and then the apple pie came out in the front and mid-palate. That was nice, and not really expected. I definitely never got the green pepper note. I can see that this one will improve - it just needs some time. Solid 89 now, probably an 88 actually but I am feeling generous tonight. But I can see what this wine is going to be as well. I don't think it'll ever be a Crocker & Starr type Cab Franc in terms of density, but time will tell. If you're going to drink this, drink it well after one hour of decanting for the best experience, but it really did express rather early on. Otherwise hold this one for about 3-4 years before enjoying.
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Medium red with a varietally correct nose. Smoke and green pepper, Loire valley nose. Some cherry but a ton of smoke. Strawberry and tannins on the palate. Oak is strong giving it some spice. Nice finish.
This wine is making me like WA cab franc. Need to buy a case.
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Tenzing Portfolio Tasting (Tenzing - Chicago, IL): Wow. This was a great wine right out of the gate. Super aromatic. Meaty, flowers, cotton candy, bright fruit. Blue fruit, chocolate. Knew it was a cab Franc. Lots of cobbler elements. Tasty wine.
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8/7/2020 - dptrevelyan Likes this wine:
Very good. Spot-on varietal character, with the proper level of green, tobacco-leafy, bell-peppery nuance to make it true to its kind. Very clean and precise, with good maturity (age) and balance; nothing standing out or in the way of enjoyment. I wish I had a case!
Drunk on its own for two hours, and later to accompany shrimp Thai spring rolls with loads of fresh basil and cilantro.
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5/4/2019 - oldcabman Likes this wine: 88 Points
Smooth, supple and definitely improved with air time. Not typical of aged Cab Franc, but very enjoyable with dinner.
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1/31/2019 - Nati Winos Does not like this wine:
Sour. May have waited too long.
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3/14/2017 - sophiesmom wrote: 88 Points
Need food to enjoy. A bit thin and lifeless for my taste...
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11/3/2016 - Wolflarson wrote: flawed
Think it was over the hill.
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4/1/2016 - Robert R. wrote: 81 Points
P&P and paired with steak. Dark color, with pronounced black fruits on the nose. Red and black fruits on the palate, with cedar/oak and a touch of bell pepper. Tannins fairly well integrated, and a reasonable amount of acid. Smooth, easy drinker. Seems well-made, but little complexity and not a lot of varietal distinctiveness. So-so for the $, not exciting, and does not appear to have changed much since previous bottle 1-2 years ago.
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1/1/2016 - phils_hobby wrote: 93 Points
Balanced and smooth, nice dark fruit flavors. Clean finish.
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10/13/2015 - oenophilemoose wrote: 74 Points
Acidic and tart bright red fruit. Could not tolerate in and of itself. Desperately needs food in order to consume. WS compromised their credibility on this one.
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9/6/2015 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Found this in an antiques and wine shop in Manchester Village Vermont over the weekend. It is an excellent QPR and a great food wine (paired with a steak). The darkness and heft of the wine went well with the meat and just in the background could get maybe a touch of blackberry. It's got the cab franc tannin/greenness but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
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6/2/2015 - phils_hobby wrote: 92 Points
Nice, good body and flavor. Good still on the 3rd day.
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3/15/2015 - DeadheadKurt wrote: 88 Points
i had a bottle on 3/13 and thought it needed more time but was wrong. Had a bottle tonight and it's lost a lot. Still had a bit of berry fruit but way to much tobacco and bland tea flavors. I have one left and plan on having within a couple of weeks.
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1/1/2015 - phils_hobby wrote: 92 Points
nice and rich, smooth flavors with a mixed dinner featuring lamb chops
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12/23/2014 - phils_hobby wrote: 92 Points
nice with a heavy beef, enough robust flavor, and easy finish. Another couple years in the bottle would help (better at the end of the meal).
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12/1/2014 - phils_hobby wrote: 90 Points
could age more. Better the second day. Good cav franc
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9/22/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consistent with notes of 2/4/2014
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9/21/2014 - goodvitis.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very dark red, can't see through it. Doesn't really even fade at edges of glass until the last little moment. Nose: very aromatic. Black fruits dominate with blackberry, bramble berry, and currant. Definitely some vegetal notes like bell pepper as well with cedar twigs and licorice. Palate: medium viscosity, fine grain tannin. Bit of heat but pleasantly balanced with lively fruit and medium acid. Fruit isn't as dark here, notes of blackberries remain but some raspberry enters. Cedar is present as well. Touch of smokiness of the BBQ variety. Just enough vegetal flavors to hit the earthiness fix. Velvety viscosity. Finish: The velvety viscosity gives way to drying, grainy tannins. Bit of heat develops, but not enough to be distracting or unpleasant. Acidity carries the fruit, though it turns into boysenberries. Smokiness sticks around, too. Overall a very nice wine with some interesting features. Great at its price point, but does leave you wanting the next stage of complexity which, incidentally, you can find in Andrew Will's more expensive bottlings.
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9/12/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 90 Points
Gorgeous Cabernet Franc. Just a touch of green pepper on the nose is the perfect foil to dark, dense fruit and chewy tannins. The balance is superb here, with good acidity and firm tannins helping to temper the ripe blackberry and black cherry notes. Barrel spice adds a nice dimension. I would probably hold off on drinking this though, as several more years will do it well.
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9/8/2014 - GARDEN Likes this wine: 90 Points
It showed some improvement in the glass. The score is after 15 + minutes.
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7/17/2014 - enjoyvino wrote: 89 Points
I just cant get this over an 89 in my book. Decent but not great.
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5/6/2014 - JGinMO wrote: 90 Points
Very young, and a bit disjointed. Could get better
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3/24/2014 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking well now.
Lighter red, with some bricking on the rim; showcasing a more aged appearance than expected, although we rarely drink varietal cab franc so this might be the norm.
Quite aromatic as expected from a cab franc; but with enough body to back it up while refraining from heavy tannins, extraction, or greenness.
My wife preferred this more than I. Decent length on the finish but somewhat lacking in complexity.
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3/9/2014 - wfdeacon wrote: 90 Points
Medium intensity ruby. Red cherry, a hint of earth, and this bottle showing orange zest on the nose. Cherry (a little sour), menthol, medium body, finishing with a touch of acidity. How many Cabernet Franc 's do we store in the cellar, can't go wrong with AW.
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2/4/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 90 Points
Better than the last bottle, with none of the slightly bitter finish. Full bodied and integrated, bright mulberry, chocolate and touches of tar.
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1/24/2014 - jhieb wrote: 86 Points
Tart, with light fruit. Not where I expected this to be after a second year.
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12/21/2013 - enjoyvino wrote: 89 Points
Very similar to last note.
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6/10/2013 - enjoyvino wrote: 89 Points
A lot of red fruit and acidity both on the nose and palate. Seemed initially thin mid palate and then filled out after about an hour. Needs some time. Will hold my others for awhile.
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5/7/2013 - austinbeeman- austinbeeman.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bright red cherry nose. Mostly bright red fruits with a touch of black. Plenty of acidty that makes this a joy to drink. There is some complexity submerged right now. I expect this wine to improve with time. Finish shows a serious level of tannin that isn't shown in the rest of the wine.
$32.99 OH retail
www.austinbeeman.com
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4/5/2013 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 88 Points
strong nose of tart cranberry, mulberry, charred oak, and chocolate. Strong mix of black fruit, tea, and earth. Slightly herbal finish.
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1/8/2013 - fitchbuck wrote: 90 Points
A considerable let down, after having this at an AW summer dinner where it sang.
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1/5/2013 - thatrick Likes this wine: 92 Points
A soft smooth Washington Cab Franc that hits my palate just right.
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1/5/2013 - Mary Crawford Likes this wine: 87 Points
Lighter flavor profile, but I've been drinking a lot of very big wine lately, so this was a welcome change of pace. Very nice.
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12/29/2012 - psusfca wrote: 91 Points
I'd go with a 91. The wine has a great start but not a huge finish. It has some cab franc herbal but still a brightess that makes it so enjoyable. I have had better, but this is quite good
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12/9/2012 - ocperu wrote: 92 Points
Must find more.
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11/23/2012 - jeremyzolk wrote:
88 pts? Hard to gauge since this was consumed after 4 Pinots. Others enjoyed it very much. I'll save my last one for a few years.
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10/21/2012 - jhieb wrote: 90 Points
Nice. Medium body, raspberry and strawberry notes, and a little smoke. I prefer my Cabernet Franc on the chalky side, which this is not, but, still a nice drinking bottle of wine.
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10/10/2012 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 90 Points
I hate when folks change their mind but I had a second bottling of the Andrew Will Cab Franc and it was substantially better. Candidly, when I drank the wine less than 30 days ago it was with pizza which may have detracted from much of the broad flavor profile of this wine. Alone, this wine carries dark red cherry to black cherry notes that literally pierce the mid palate and loiter on the back palate like a good buzz. The boy is mid to full with a darker color than is typical of Cab Franc. It also taste like this has a small percentage of southern Rhone varietals. Cheers!
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9/29/2012 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 88 Points
This bottling revealed the softer side of Washington Cab Franc after being open for an hour on a medium frame and a ruby red profile. The nose harkened to wild flower fields and bright red fruit that were a little muted on the palate. I was most impressed with how smooth the wine was which is atypical of Cabnernet Franc. This wine will likely improve with time and increase in score.
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8/11/2012 - mflesh wrote: 89 Points
Enjoyed with Judy at Zambrano's Wine Cellar in downtown Fort Worth - this wine is WAY too young to go right now. Listed as 89, but if given another 2 years in the bottle it's probably closer to 91 or 92. Took a little convincing to get the cork out of the bottle - probably because it was just put in!! Poured a light to medium body in the glass. Medium garnet red color, rather transparent. Looked like cherry Kool Aid. On the nose was classic floral, Hawthorne, lilac, jasmine. This reminded me of a Chinon Cab Franc we have at home, and definitely old world-ish. The entry was acidic, but was starting to express some Franc funk very early on. This turned to a red cherry, some licorice, cinnamon spice, that burned off into a rather soft finish for such a young wine, but the oak was definitely there in the finish as well and almost seemed to dominate. Finished with a hint of grit and raw, unrefined beauty. Love Cab Franc for just that reason, and this one didn't disappoint in this category. As the wine opened up, more of the red licorice started showing, and then the apple pie came out in the front and mid-palate. That was nice, and not really expected. I definitely never got the green pepper note. I can see that this one will improve - it just needs some time. Solid 89 now, probably an 88 actually but I am feeling generous tonight. But I can see what this wine is going to be as well. I don't think it'll ever be a Crocker & Starr type Cab Franc in terms of density, but time will tell. If you're going to drink this, drink it well after one hour of decanting for the best experience, but it really did express rather early on. Otherwise hold this one for about 3-4 years before enjoying.
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8/11/2012 - atrox wrote: 91 Points
Medium red with a varietally correct nose. Smoke and green pepper, Loire valley nose. Some cherry but a ton of smoke. Strawberry and tannins on the palate. Oak is strong giving it some spice. Nice finish.
This wine is making me like WA cab franc. Need to buy a case.
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7/18/2012 - thatrick wrote: 92 Points
this wine just keeps getting better and better. just ordered another case. this is the best black label wine I have had from AW.
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4/16/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Tenzing Portfolio Tasting (Tenzing - Chicago, IL): Wow. This was a great wine right out of the gate. Super aromatic. Meaty, flowers, cotton candy, bright fruit. Blue fruit, chocolate. Knew it was a cab Franc. Lots of cobbler elements. Tasty wine.
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