Grape Culture Cabernet Franc Sugarloaf Vineyard Napa Valley 2023

Cab Franc-ophiles – we know you love your purple-fruited, bell pepper-tinged, spice-sprinkled reds, but this one might blow your socks right off. One of Napa’s top rising star producers, a single stellar vineyard, and a MAJOR price drop on 2 or more bottles… let’s do this!

Grape Culture is one of Napa Valley’s best success stories of late. The Cranor family launched the label in just 2019 in the hopes of making wines from some of the valley’s most respected sites after spending almost two decades running Nottingham Cellars in Livermore. Collin Cranor brought on Craig Ploof as Director of Winemaking, together landing fruit from some mighty patches of earth, like Beckstoffer Georges III, Sugarloaf Mountain, and vineyards across Oakville, Rutherford, and Howell Mountain.

No surprise, in its first three vintages, Grape Culture earned a slew of more than 50 scores of 90+ points from leading critics (many of those 95 or higher) which is pretty much unheard of for a producer barely out of the gate. This Sugarloaf Cabernet Franc is a tremendous expression that earned 93 points itself – coming from a famous vineyard in the southeast corner of Napa Valley on a west-facing hillside with open views of San Pablo Bay. The Cab Franc block sits midslope, seeing dramatic day-to-night temperature swings that give the grape its fresh yet concentrated personality.

Made 100% of Franc, it gallops from the glass with violets and dried herbs wrapped around a core of black cherry, raspberry, and plum, with savory edges of red bell pepper, graphite, and cigar spice. Long and perfumed on the finish, this is completely fantastic even now at 3 years young, with a solid several years of life ahead if you choose to stow it away. Price drop on 2 bottles, free shipping on 4… you know what to do!

FOOD PAIRINGS: Crispy, juicy steak bites drizzled with spicy chimichurri. Yes, yes, yes.