2011 Pride Mountain Cabernet Franc Napa/Sonoma
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2011 Cabernet Franc has held up beautifully. Wild cherry, mocha, licorice, spice and tobacco lend quite a bit of aromatic nuance. There's good fruitiness still. I would prefer to drink this over the next few years.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(blended with 12% cabernet sauvignon; from fruit picked during the first half of November): Red-ruby. Subdued but pure aromas of red berries, dried flowers and mocha. Surprisingly sweet, lush and easygoing; not hugely concentrated but with good energy and an edge of slightly green acidity giving shape and grip to the flavors of red berries and flowers. The firm finish features a late note of chocolate. Very easy to drink.
The 2011 Cabernet Franc brings together all of the elements that make the Pride wines so delicious. Espresso, savory herbs, bittersweet chocolate and graphite notes all meld together in a beautifully expressive, layered Cabernet Franc endowed with gorgeous depth. The balance of fruit, aromatics and structure is terrific.
Spicy, with notes of red and black currants as well as hints of pomegranate and forest floor, the 2011 Cabernet Franc (88% Cabernet Franc and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon) is round, easygoing and consumer-friendly. Already revealing complexity, it is on a fast evolutionary track, so drink it over the next 3-4 years. As always, this winery situated at the crest of Spring Mountain on both sides of the Napa/Sonoma counties boundary, has turned out a portfolio of interesting as well as satisfying wines. Amazingly, Pride Mountain Vineyards now owns over 85 acres at high elevation sites spread over the top of Spring Mountain. Pride Mountain’s two flagship offerings are much more limited in availability, with only 569 cases of the 2010 Claret Reserve and 1,365 cases of the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Tel. (707) 963-4949