Trujillo Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 2019

Cabernet Franc is a noble grape that is often cited as the next big thing and is a varietal near and dear to sommeliers and wine industry insiders. Generally, a tad bit lighter in style than its descendant Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc adds a perfumed, peppery component to the blended wines of Bordeaux and is the stand-alone star of the elegant red wines of the Loire Valley. Cabernet Franc fanatics cite its enticing aromas of tobacco, raspberry, cassis, and violets as the bedrock of its appeal. Not content to let this alluring varietal play second fiddle to its more famous relative, winemaker Michael Trujillo has crafted a bottling that had all of us at ACME falling in love all over again with this enchanting grape.

Michael Trujillo has long been associated with several of Napa Valley’s notable wineries, including Karl Lawrence Cellars, Sequoia Grove, Herb Lamb Vineyards, and Madrigal. Yet, despite the integral roles he has played, Michael tends to skirt the spotlight, letting his wines speak for themselves. But with the emergence of his own label, Trujillo Wines, Michael is quickly becoming a household name among avid wine enthusiasts.

A Colorado native, Michael first visited the Napa Valley during a college road trip in 1982, and never left. Formerly a student of architectural engineering, he became an acolyte of winemaking, as an apprentice under the famed Andre Tchelistcheff (known as the "Dean of American Winemaking') and Tony Soter (founder of Etude winery and former consulting winemaker for some of Napa’s most legendary wines including Araujo, Niebaum-Coppola, Shafer, Spottswoode, and Dalla Valle). After that, he worked for over two decades as winemaker, then President, for Sequoia Grove Winery in Rutherford, and then turned his focus full-time to his family label.

For his 2019 Cabernet Franc, Michael sourced fruit from the cooler Oak Knoll AVA just south of Yountville. After a gentle harvest and long, slow fermentation, this wine was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. Michael limited the amount of new barrels to just 50% so as not to mask, but rather complement, the red fruit aromatics inherent in the Cabernet Franc grape. And a touch of 4% Cabernet Sauvignon lends structure and fine-grained tannins to this luxurious vintage. This wine features beautiful varietal notes of dark cherry, raspberry and red currant with hints of tobacco leaf and graphite. Just 4 barrels produced.