2012 Two Jakes Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc, Lake County
Tasting Notes
Because of its proximity to Clear Lake, the site is also blessed with a ālake effectā ā a daily visit from the cooling breezes off this deep body of water, largest in the State. The consequence is that the plum and cinnamon aromas the grape develops are conserved. The combination of rich fruit aromatics, firm tannin structure, and lively minerality make this among the most complete and collectible expressions of Cabernet Franc in the New World.
Diamond Ridge is located on a sunny high altitude site with rocky granitic soils that force Cabernet Franc to put its energy into pushing its roots down into the rock, resulting in a lively mineral energy in the wineās finish. These conditions develop good color and firm but refined tannins that impart amazing age-worthiness.
William Youngerās āGods, Men and Wineā offers compelling evidence that the 1,000-year Roman winemaking tradition did not involve sulfites, and we have been exploring with this ancient winemaking tradition since 2001, finding it well suited to high altitude Cab Franc from volcanic soils. These wines seem to take care of themselves very well without added preservatives, offering up incredibly intricate aromatics full of mystery and soul. The difference reminds us of the extra flavor dimensionality one finds in the great unpasteurized French cheeses.
Elevage: Three weeks microbĆ¼llage pre ML, 60 months in neutral French oak
Alcohol: 13.5%
pH: 3.78
Cases Produced: 294
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
3x 2012 Two Jakes Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc, Lake County
Case:
12x 2012 Two Jakes Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc, Lake County
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $600/case MSRP
About The Winery
Winery: WineSmith Cellars
Owner: Clark Smith
Founded: 1993
Location: Sebastopol, CA
Clark Smith is an MIT drop-out who wandered out to California in 1972 and sold wine retail in the Bay Area for several years, where he acquired a love of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and all things French and observed first-hand the California winery explosion in the 1970s. After a three year stint at Veedercrest Vineyards, he secured enology training at UC Davis and spent the 1980s as founding winemaker for The R.H. Phillips Vineyard in Yolo County. In 1990, he founded WineSmith Consulting and patented a group of new winemaking techniques involving reverse osmosis, spinning off Vinovation, which went on to become the worldās largest wine production consulting firm over its 17-year history.
Frustrated with Californiaās winemaking trends, Clark started WineSmith Cellars in 1993 as a teaching winery to make Eurocentric wines to explore traditions beyond the mainstream, expanding for his winemaking clients the range of possibility for California fruit. Choosing to create long-term partnerships with committed growers rather than growing his own grapes, Clark has become a renowned expert on Cabernet Franc, having vinified twenty vintages from a wide variety of sites.
WineSmith wines are noted for their longevity, classic balance, structural integrity, minerality and understated soulfulness. They often are aged extensively prior to release. When drinking a WineSmith wine, always ask yourself āWhat is this wine trying to teach me?ā Clark is a vocal advocate of living soil and graceful longevity, and generally avoids excessive oak, alcohol, or extended hang-time. He is not shy about employing new tools when they are needed, such as alcohol adjustment to bring fruit into balance or micro-oxygenation to build refined structure, but always fully discloses techniques which are controversial and is outspoken in explaining his rationale.
His book, Postmodern Winemaking, is the culmination of four decades of reflection on wineās true nature.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Two Jakes of Diamonds Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc
3 bottles for $74.99 $25/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $239.99 $20/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2012 Two Jakes of Diamonds Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc - $60 = 19.99%
@funnywontons@i8dacat@losthighwayz@linkx22@rjquillin
The single case coming here is definitely oversubscribed. Iād suggest one of the others of you get a case and do a second split. There are up to 4 bottles available from Ronās and my case as it stands. i8dacat was first in the request queue for our case, but it may be easiest to split based on location. Iām in West LA if you are nearby, linkx22.
Two Jake 201 Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc
Lake County 14.7 ABV
The flying monkey swooped low and left behind a special package wrapped in styro.
PnP. Small pour into a glass, rest into the decanter for a multi day stint. Glass pour appears hazy, likely due to sediment as this was opened only hours after delivery. Color also seems a little bricked. Noise is tight, reductive/stinky, but this is not barnyard type funk. Picking up a little bit of dark cherry and wet sage. Palate initially not showing much fruit, bit of lean cherry, medium acid, medium + tannin, good weight. There is a leafy herbaceous quality to this, but not full on bell pepper style. Lean cherry, still pretty tight.
I jumped the gun with a google search on the first night and stumbled upon the youtube video of Clark that will likely get linked to this sale. His molly dooker on the decanter and suggestion at decanting a full week made me feel comfortable not transferring back into the bottle overnight.
Night 2 ā 24 hours in decanter
Quite a bit of sediment gathered in the bottom of the decanter. Glass pour much clearer today. Put together a sampler of fresh herbs from the garden. Rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano just as a backdrop to better place what Iām picking up.
Nose is still a bit tight and funky/musty smelling. Closest hit was the slightly damp sage. On the palate tonight it is driving acid, good grip, tart lean bing cherry, lots of mineral ābuzzā. Lasting finish with woody rosemary and white pepper undertones. Drinking pretty well with good balance and nice weight. Not tons of fruit but there is a lot going on here. No signs of oxidation so Iāll leave this in the decanter for one more day.
Night 3 ā 48 hours in the decanter
At hour 44 I stuck my nose in the decanter and it was still pretty stuffy. Did a heft shakeup to try and help for this evenings tasting. 5 hours later poured a glass. Hazy again as I stirred everything up. Nose is far less stuffy. Again leafy wet sage, also a touch of tomato leaf, dark cherry and now getting bramble leaning toward blackberry, but freshly picked. Also some white pepper on the nose that I didnāt notice before. Palate is still acid driven, but the balance is even better tonight. Med+ tannin, minerality is very prominent and delicious, best glass pour so far. Finish has some cinnamon, white pepper, and pine. Crazy long finish at 90 seconds plus. Nice mouth feel.
Summary: After 2 days in the decanter this has opened up and become really enjoyable. If I had to just it just on the first night PnP I would not have been a fan. This could cellar forever, but even in 20 years it will probably need at least a day in the decanter. Just know going in that this will be an act of patience and youāll need to open it up on Tuesday for Saturday dinner.
I still have a couple small pours left, so Iāll check back again tomorrow. Anything under $30 a bottle is a good deal on this for folks that enjoy a layered and complex cab franc.
@trifecta Thanks! A perfect review. This is one for the ages, though it can be a splendid now with sufficient breathing. It would be nice if we could make wines that are delicious now that are also age-worthy, but itās really like defying gravity.
Wine is like baseball. Some wines gain a lot of altitude early, like pop flies, and end up coming down in the infield. Some are line drives that get picked up in the outfield for a base run. If you want to swing for the fences, you need a very flat trajectory where the ball is still gaining altitude as it leaves the infield.
This wine, at 8 years old with five in barrel, is still gaining and will be for a long time. But if you understand what to expect and how to deal with it, it provides an utterly unique treat for your geeky friends to celebrate the relaxing of Shelter In Place.
Hereās some hints on how to make that occassion memorable. I spoke about music already. As for food accompaniments, it loves a ripe Epoisse or unpasteurized Italian fontina, kalamata olives, and wild mushrooms. A cabrissi salad with good balsamic. If you have a wild mushroom connection, thereās a simple Tuscan dish with white beans and fresh porcinis with sauteed fresh tomato with a ton of garlic and smothered in extra virgin olive oil.
@trifecta@winesmith Checking back in on Night 4. 72 hrs in decanter. Best glass so far. Clarity is back after sediment settled again (shakeup yesterday afternoon). Funkiness on nose is gone. Brooding plum and blackberry on the nose. Sage component still there, but less so. Palate is juicy red fruit and buzzing minerality. Finish is so spectacular on this wine. About to have this with a grass fed cheeseburger, but wanted to check in before the sale was over. Glad I went in for a case, just put yourself a bottle note in cellartracker as a reminder to decant for 3 days first! Not just open bottle, full on decanter for 3 days. Might even be better after 5, but Iām drinking up now.
Greetings, mates! It is great to be back together with my homies in the Casemates chatspace where I feel more at home and my work is better understood than anywhere else.
I am particularly happy that after years of your pleadings, I am finally able to offer the Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc to you at a bargain price. This wine is the culmination of an experimental journey that began in 2001 when I began an exploration into Roman winemaking. Welcome to Cabernet Franc graduate school. Strap in for adventure.
Itās important not to approach this wine through the narrow lens of modern conventional wine styles. Though produced from identical fruit from Diamond Ridge Vineyards as all my Cab Francs since 2007, you will find it bears little resemblance to the many WineSmith vintages you have enjoyed. To be sure, the DRV stamp of red fruit and palate energy are apparent and the wine has received the extensive aging in very old French oak that youāve come to expect from me.
When, however, I follow the Romansā lead to eschew sulfite preservatives, strange magic happens. But youāve got to keep an open mind and abandon your preconceptions. I find that novices find this wine easier to appreciate than all but the most adventurous of the wine tradeās trained monkeys.
Imagine yourself as a village elder in Gaul 2,000 years ago. You drink beer and cider but youāve no idea what wine is. The Centurion whoās running your conquered village invites you to dinner and pours you this stuff. You have no context for this elixir, but youāre suddenly overwhelmed by the potionās kaleidoscope of ever-changing aromas and explosive palate energy. On the way home, you decide not to stab the Romans in their beds.
Some things Iāve learned in 19 years of making Roman wines:
Sulfites are thought by most winemakers to be an anti-oxidant, but the opposite is the case. SO2 has been shown to short-circuit the wineās natural immune system and suppress its own ability to protect itself by a factor of TWELVE!
Sulfites donāt prevent spoilage by vinegar bacteria and Brettanomyces yeast. In fact, they encourage these defects. Without sulfites, a healthy wine will deny Acetobacter the oxygen it requires to thrive. This environment also encourages a complex beneficial microbiome that out-competes Brett for nutrients.
Roman wines throw a sediment as they age. You will see a little deposit in the bottle, so let it stand a few days before decanting.
Donāt expect oxidation ā expect reduction. Even more than my conventional wines, this stuff is really a baby at 8 years old. Simply giving it a good shaking in a decanter will help dispel its initial closed character, but breathing for a day or even a week improves it substantially.
Expect a complex and ever-evolving aromatic circus on the nose and outrageous palate energy. Something about this method intensifies the minerality from Jakeās volcanic soils.
Your appreciation of this wine will be greatly enhanced by the right music. My top pick is Samuel Barberās Adagio for Strings (Leonard Bernsteinās version is great) followed by Bruce Springsteenās Jungleland, Desafinado by Joao Gilberto and Stan Getz, and Snoop Doggās Gin and Juice.
@coynedj We didnāt bottle a CF in 2009. The 2008 is definitely ready to go. The 2007 was my first year with the vineyard and I picked it at perfect ripeness. This vineyard has so much life enegy that this resulted in a wine that needs considerable cellar time. Itās drinkable now but has the most longevity potential of all of them. The 2010 is the conventional twin of the Roman Reserve 2010. You really should get some and try them side by side - identically made except for the sulfites and entirely different in character. I love them both, but for different reasons. The WineSmith is a classic St. Emilion knockoff, and the Roman is more like a Barberesco - quite similar to the 2012 weāre showing here. The 2011 is still a baby - needs another 3-5 years to drink at its best.
@coynedj@winesmith Any thoughts on the 2006 winesmith CF? Has long been my favorite among the group of Diamond Ridge, Two Jakeās, winesmith, etcā¦ Across all labels and vintages. Iām still hoarding four or five of them.
Also, what say you about your very early CFās? Circa 1994/1996?
@coynedj@trifecta Yes, thatās a wonderful wine. I had been making Cab Franc from vineyards all over California and never found one that would give me a complete wine, one with both good structure and a sweet core of fruit. Then I found Diamond Ridge in 2007 and never looked back. The 2006 is a blend of two vineyards. Itās 72% Ramazotti, a low lying clayey vineyard near the river north of Geyserville. It has too much vigor, so Joe whacks back the canopy. The result is a wine that is richly fruity - sort of like a Grenache, but with no backbone whatsoever.
The other 28% comes from just across Hwy 101 in a stony serpentine (high magnesium) soil toxic to grapevines, hence the name Blue Rock Vineyards, owned by Kenny Kahn. The soil suppresses the vigor and yields a wine with little fruit but remorselessly tannic. This was just what I needed to frame the Ramazotti. The two together in just the right proportion make a seamless whole. Itās really showing well right now and should hold up for several years.
If you like the hard, ageworthy style, Blue Rock is making some dynamite wines these days.
I saw that the 2011 needs 3-5 years, but can we get a reasonable guess of the range for the 2012? I want to enter it into Cellar Tracker before I forget and accidentally drink this too soon!!!
@coynedj@trifecta@vaaccess The 2011 Two Jakes is not a Roman Reserve wine and only saw 26 months in neutral oak before bottling. It has certainly taken its time to develop and has plenty of longevity. You can certainly drink it now, and in a good cellar it could last at least another 5 year, maybe more. Itās a very clean classic style, still has plenty of fruit, and will acquire some tertiary bouquet in a predictable manner.
The 2012 Roman Reserve is another kettle of fish. Itās very similar to the 2010, which is just approaching its plateau of drinkability now and still improves with several days of breathing. It is in no way a conventional flavor profile and changes all the time as it breathes. Both wines saw about six years in old French oak and never had any SO2.
What can I tell you? Syrahs I made this way in 2004 and 2005 are still going strong. I wonāt bore you with the chemistry, but SO2, while considered an anti-oxidant by most winemakers, actually decreases the wineās oxygen appetite by an order of magnitude. Combine this with the intense minerality from volcanic soil and these wines may outlive us all.
Or not. Itās an exciting experiment.
@coynedj@vaaccess@winesmith If I had to venture a guess beyond what Clark is recommendingā¦ This likely wonāt shift in the next 5 years, so plan on decanting for 72+ hours. Maybe take a day of decanting off for each 5 years cellared. Not joking. I would not be surprised if this still needed a decant in 2035. Donāt wait too long on your first bottle. Once settled post shipping, open one and see the decanting experience for yourself and youāll get a feel for where you like it.
Got the email, got the wine, and again assembled the neighbors at an appropriate social distance for a tasting of the 2012 Two Jakes of Diamonds Cabernet Franc Roman Reserve. I have a previous vintage in the cellar hoping to hold it for many years to come. Having read previously Clarkās comments on Cab Franc and the Roman Reserve I knew I would have to open upon arrival and aerate for as many days as possible until the wine was offered on Casemates. Since none of the three of us have Cabernet Franc as a top five varietal we opened a bottle of 2014 Saviah Cabernet Franc from Walla Walla Washington to compare.
The wine had a garnet color and was a little cloudy. The initial nose was a bit funky, this improved with aeration and resolved by day two. On day 3 some herbs and violets were noted. Medium bodied, moderate plus acidity moderate tannins complemented with minerality. On the palate primarily tart cherry with subtle raspberry and a nice long peppery finish.
Although I would enjoy it as a cocktail wine most would find it a food friendly or food mandatory wine. In fact it was perfect with goat cheese and crackers, and paired perfectly with tonightās dinner of veal piccata.
The Walla Walla CF had an unremarkable nose, more fruit, much less acidity, tannins, and minerality resulting in a much smoother mouth feel. Itās good as a cocktail wine but did little to enhance the meal.
Being a parent of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot we expected a full bodied and more fruity wine. The three of us were surprise commenting āIt was not what I expected, but I really enjoyed it.ā We also felt it would pair well with tomato based Italian cuisine. In the future Iāll be looking for Cabernet Franc on the restaurant wine list.
Thanks for the opportunity to rat, the neighborhood has a lot of fun with it.
@msten Thanks! Yes, the goat cheese idea is perfect. Right on about the tomato-based Italian cuisine (see my note about Tuscan white beans) but delicate Northern Italy style - not the Sicilian heavy sauce and cheese approach.
I canāt tell you how many times Iāve heard "not what I expected, but I really enjoyed it.ā
Itās funny that CF and SB are the parents of Cab Sauv. Itās like Woody Allen and Kira Sedgewick begat Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Most California winemakers donāt understand CF and treat it like CS or Merlot. As a result, it tends toward low color, high pyrazines (bell pepper veg) and grainy tannins.
If you want great Cab Franc in this masculine style, check out Chinon or Bourgeuil. If you prefer the WineSmith rounder, warmer, more feminine Bordeaux style, any good St. Emilion will do the trick, but itās nothing like this.
There are very good American Cab Francs in Colorado (Bookcliff Vineyards) and Virginia (Horton). If you like the leaner style like this, there are good ones in the Finger Lakes (Lakewood Vineyards). My very favorite is the Hawk Haven from Cape May , NJ.
@winesmith @ winedavid49 Your Cab Franc is always an auto buy no matter how many boxes of wine I have piling up. You made me fall in love with this varietal and I am thankful you show this grape how well it can sing.
@Allieroon@lindylouwho i was going in at six but will settle for 4 for 3way split OR, Allieroon order a case to split with me ā lindylouwho if you only want 4 i can take 8. WINESMITH is an autobuy and i have another case ordered on the side. Iām good either way CHAZ peoples
@Allieroon@Putsch for sure an autobuy! Iām on a SIWBM but always make an exception for WineSmith. Iāll let the two of you work out if thereās enough interest in another case depending on how many bottles @Allieroom wantsā¦
@pete0744
Sorry for the delay responding (work). Deerfield might be doable. I live in the city (River North) but work in Skokie. Let me know if youāre still interested. Cheers!
@kristian@Cobrent Hey there. This wine did arrive, and has been sitting in my house for a couple weeks. At the moment we are on covid lockdown with a probable case. I figure better to hold on to it for a bit longer and not expose either of you, but if you want to set up a time to pick up at my house, we can try to make that arrangement. thanks, Joel
@CObrent@jasisk Hi Joel, hope this message gets to you at this hour. I have reason to be in your neighborhood tomorrow and could do a pick up if youāre around. Cheers, Kristian
I want to make sure you guys appreciate the courage and trust in my abilities that it took for Jake Stephens to invest in this crazy and expensive project. Any Davis-educated winemaker will tell you that this wine is impossible. Dr. Roger Boulton once made the statement that any wine without sulfites must be constantly refrigerated and drunk within a year.
I had the good fortune to have nine sulfite-free Roman Syrah vintages under my belt when we began using his Cab Franc, but it was still quite a gamble. I want here to acknowledge the kind of partnership Jake and I have forged over the last 12 years. He told me the other day āI guess weāre joined at the hip whether we like it or not.ā
As a result of Jakeās generosity, you have the rare chance to taste impossible wine. Every wine I make calls into question the received wisdom of modern enology. In the 2012 RR CF you have the opportunity, just this once, to look back in time to the ancient wisdom weāve lost track of. This wine isnāt a beverage - itās a dissenting minority opinion.
@pseudogourmet98
That would be great. It would be nice if we could see who in casemates is close to usā¦ I donāt know of a way to find that information easily.
@WCCWineGirl it looks like UPS lost my package for this several weeks ago. I just got notified about it today. It doesnāt look like they have found it yet but I canāt really tell. Not sure what to do about it but I donāt like the idea of receiving a box of wine that got lost for several weeks, especially wine that I plan to cellar for a few decades.
Mine arrived at 5:48pm yesterday. We had morning thunderstorms which thankfully cooled the day (low 70s, as compared to near 90 previous days). After a day in the truck the bottles were at 82Ā°F upon arrival. Could have been much worse!
Received mine, as well, but temps were in the mid 80ās, but still less than 2 days after it was shipped.
In a philosophical sense, the temps are almost fitting, and have to be better than those experienced by the Romans in the caves of Campania (think Pompeii and Herculaneum.) Iām sure it will be fine, and its short time at a cool room temp for Italy, in the summer, will only add to its character.
Shipping a week early has but me in a bad situation. I am not home this week and UPS will hit three attempts before I return.
UPS refuses to let me change the delivery without the āInfoNoticeā number on the the missed delivery notice. But I have no way to get that until next week when it is too late.
Sorry, I made a mistake in the way I responded to your message, please see the next one, but itās possible that Casemates might be able to address this as well; money talks, and they pay the bills here.
Just another possibility, and good luck, once again.
One would think that you could get them to keep it at an area hub, where you might be inconvenienced by having to pick it up yourself, but at least it would be available and out of the delivery truck environment. As for their counter intuitive use of the word āholdā, it seems to be bureaucracy at its ābestā.
Iām sure youāve exhausted your local possibilities, like getting friends/family/co-workers to grab it, or at least give you their magic number from the failed delivery attempt slips, but if you end up without your order, Iāll give you one of mine and it WONāT be shipped UPS.
@fibrs86 Hopefully itāll all work out fine. I was going to open a bottle here, upon receipt, but I decided not to, so I have 3 sitting here should you want one.
@CroutonOllie A $6 reschedule fee and a week later, the wine has finally arrived. The wait felt long, but will be short compared to the years before I drink any.
@fibrs86 Glad to hear that all worked out, and I plan to hold mine for awhile, as well. Too many times Iāve consumed early, things that I wish I had held. Unless I feel the Covid coming on, these will be safe, and even then Iāll only be opening one!
That sounds like a procedural issue, that should easily be able to be addressed.
You have the tracking number, just escalate it further up their āchain of command,ā as with all of this Covid crap, you might have just encountered someone new, inexperienced, or lazy.
2012 Two Jakes Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc, Lake County
Tasting Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $600/case MSRP
About The Winery
Winery: WineSmith Cellars
Owner: Clark Smith
Founded: 1993
Location: Sebastopol, CA
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 6 - Thursday, Jul 9
Two Jakes of Diamonds Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc
3 bottles for $74.99 $25/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $239.99 $20/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2012 Two Jakes of Diamonds Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2012 Two Jakes of Diamonds Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc - $60 = 19.99%
Roman reserve? Yes!
Splits in SoCal?
@klezman Iād likely be up for thisā¦
@klezman Iāll take 2-3
@klezman I can do a couple bottles as well if you would like to split your case further.
@klezman Iād be in for 3!
@funnywontons @i8dacat @losthighwayz @linkx22 @rjquillin
The single case coming here is definitely oversubscribed. Iād suggest one of the others of you get a case and do a second split. There are up to 4 bottles available from Ronās and my case as it stands. i8dacat was first in the request queue for our case, but it may be easiest to split based on location. Iām in West LA if you are nearby, linkx22.
@i8dacat @klezman @linkx22 @losthighwayz @rjquillin
I can grab a second case for those interested. Let me know.
@funnywontons @linkx22 Iāll take three
@linkx22 @losthighwayz
Went ahead and purchased a case.
@funnywontons @i8dacat @linkx22 @losthighwayz @rjquillin Ok, so Ron and I just need to know how many bottles to set aside from the case coming to meā¦
@funnywontons @i8dacat @klezman @losthighwayz @rjquillin I live by DTLA, I can come to you. I can do 3-4 bottles.
@funnywontons @klezman @linkx22 @losthighwayz @rjquillin 3 for me please.
NE OH, if anyone is buying please cut me in for 3-4 bottles!
Any splits interest in MD?
@bunnymasseuse yes, iād do that, if the geography works out.
@smtcapecod
/giphy sore-addictive-umbrella
Two Jake 201 Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc
Lake County 14.7 ABV
The flying monkey swooped low and left behind a special package wrapped in styro.
PnP. Small pour into a glass, rest into the decanter for a multi day stint. Glass pour appears hazy, likely due to sediment as this was opened only hours after delivery. Color also seems a little bricked. Noise is tight, reductive/stinky, but this is not barnyard type funk. Picking up a little bit of dark cherry and wet sage. Palate initially not showing much fruit, bit of lean cherry, medium acid, medium + tannin, good weight. There is a leafy herbaceous quality to this, but not full on bell pepper style. Lean cherry, still pretty tight.
I jumped the gun with a google search on the first night and stumbled upon the youtube video of Clark that will likely get linked to this sale. His molly dooker on the decanter and suggestion at decanting a full week made me feel comfortable not transferring back into the bottle overnight.
Night 2 ā 24 hours in decanter
Quite a bit of sediment gathered in the bottom of the decanter. Glass pour much clearer today. Put together a sampler of fresh herbs from the garden. Rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano just as a backdrop to better place what Iām picking up.
Nose is still a bit tight and funky/musty smelling. Closest hit was the slightly damp sage. On the palate tonight it is driving acid, good grip, tart lean bing cherry, lots of mineral ābuzzā. Lasting finish with woody rosemary and white pepper undertones. Drinking pretty well with good balance and nice weight. Not tons of fruit but there is a lot going on here. No signs of oxidation so Iāll leave this in the decanter for one more day.
Night 3 ā 48 hours in the decanter
At hour 44 I stuck my nose in the decanter and it was still pretty stuffy. Did a heft shakeup to try and help for this evenings tasting. 5 hours later poured a glass. Hazy again as I stirred everything up. Nose is far less stuffy. Again leafy wet sage, also a touch of tomato leaf, dark cherry and now getting bramble leaning toward blackberry, but freshly picked. Also some white pepper on the nose that I didnāt notice before. Palate is still acid driven, but the balance is even better tonight. Med+ tannin, minerality is very prominent and delicious, best glass pour so far. Finish has some cinnamon, white pepper, and pine. Crazy long finish at 90 seconds plus. Nice mouth feel.
Summary: After 2 days in the decanter this has opened up and become really enjoyable. If I had to just it just on the first night PnP I would not have been a fan. This could cellar forever, but even in 20 years it will probably need at least a day in the decanter. Just know going in that this will be an act of patience and youāll need to open it up on Tuesday for Saturday dinner.
I still have a couple small pours left, so Iāll check back again tomorrow. Anything under $30 a bottle is a good deal on this for folks that enjoy a layered and complex cab franc.
@trifecta Thanks! A perfect review. This is one for the ages, though it can be a splendid now with sufficient breathing. It would be nice if we could make wines that are delicious now that are also age-worthy, but itās really like defying gravity.
Wine is like baseball. Some wines gain a lot of altitude early, like pop flies, and end up coming down in the infield. Some are line drives that get picked up in the outfield for a base run. If you want to swing for the fences, you need a very flat trajectory where the ball is still gaining altitude as it leaves the infield.
This wine, at 8 years old with five in barrel, is still gaining and will be for a long time. But if you understand what to expect and how to deal with it, it provides an utterly unique treat for your geeky friends to celebrate the relaxing of Shelter In Place.
Hereās some hints on how to make that occassion memorable. I spoke about music already. As for food accompaniments, it loves a ripe Epoisse or unpasteurized Italian fontina, kalamata olives, and wild mushrooms. A cabrissi salad with good balsamic. If you have a wild mushroom connection, thereās a simple Tuscan dish with white beans and fresh porcinis with sauteed fresh tomato with a ton of garlic and smothered in extra virgin olive oil.
@trifecta Fantastic review
/giphy martial-clammy-mockingbird
@trifecta thank you for the awesome report!
POPSOCKETS! COURT DOCKETS! FOLK ROCK HITS! AWESOME!
@trifecta @winesmith Checking back in on Night 4. 72 hrs in decanter. Best glass so far. Clarity is back after sediment settled again (shakeup yesterday afternoon). Funkiness on nose is gone. Brooding plum and blackberry on the nose. Sage component still there, but less so. Palate is juicy red fruit and buzzing minerality. Finish is so spectacular on this wine. About to have this with a grass fed cheeseburger, but wanted to check in before the sale was over. Glad I went in for a case, just put yourself a bottle note in cellartracker as a reminder to decant for 3 days first! Not just open bottle, full on decanter for 3 days. Might even be better after 5, but Iām drinking up now.
Greetings, mates! It is great to be back together with my homies in the Casemates chatspace where I feel more at home and my work is better understood than anywhere else.
I am particularly happy that after years of your pleadings, I am finally able to offer the Roman Reserve Cabernet Franc to you at a bargain price. This wine is the culmination of an experimental journey that began in 2001 when I began an exploration into Roman winemaking. Welcome to Cabernet Franc graduate school. Strap in for adventure.
Itās important not to approach this wine through the narrow lens of modern conventional wine styles. Though produced from identical fruit from Diamond Ridge Vineyards as all my Cab Francs since 2007, you will find it bears little resemblance to the many WineSmith vintages you have enjoyed. To be sure, the DRV stamp of red fruit and palate energy are apparent and the wine has received the extensive aging in very old French oak that youāve come to expect from me.
When, however, I follow the Romansā lead to eschew sulfite preservatives, strange magic happens. But youāve got to keep an open mind and abandon your preconceptions. I find that novices find this wine easier to appreciate than all but the most adventurous of the wine tradeās trained monkeys.
Imagine yourself as a village elder in Gaul 2,000 years ago. You drink beer and cider but youāve no idea what wine is. The Centurion whoās running your conquered village invites you to dinner and pours you this stuff. You have no context for this elixir, but youāre suddenly overwhelmed by the potionās kaleidoscope of ever-changing aromas and explosive palate energy. On the way home, you decide not to stab the Romans in their beds.
Some things Iāve learned in 19 years of making Roman wines:
Not your Grandpaās Cab Franc!
@winesmith Desafinado was my favorite pairing of theses. Thanks for the suggestions!
@winesmith Desafinado - now I have to listen to that classic again!
I checked my cellar and have some 2007s, 2008s, 2010s, and 2011s - I seem to have missed 2009 somehow. Any thoughts on when to pop those open?
@coynedj We didnāt bottle a CF in 2009. The 2008 is definitely ready to go. The 2007 was my first year with the vineyard and I picked it at perfect ripeness. This vineyard has so much life enegy that this resulted in a wine that needs considerable cellar time. Itās drinkable now but has the most longevity potential of all of them. The 2010 is the conventional twin of the Roman Reserve 2010. You really should get some and try them side by side - identically made except for the sulfites and entirely different in character. I love them both, but for different reasons. The WineSmith is a classic St. Emilion knockoff, and the Roman is more like a Barberesco - quite similar to the 2012 weāre showing here. The 2011 is still a baby - needs another 3-5 years to drink at its best.
@coynedj @winesmith Any thoughts on the 2006 winesmith CF? Has long been my favorite among the group of Diamond Ridge, Two Jakeās, winesmith, etcā¦ Across all labels and vintages. Iām still hoarding four or five of them.
Also, what say you about your very early CFās? Circa 1994/1996?
@coynedj @trifecta Yes, thatās a wonderful wine. I had been making Cab Franc from vineyards all over California and never found one that would give me a complete wine, one with both good structure and a sweet core of fruit. Then I found Diamond Ridge in 2007 and never looked back. The 2006 is a blend of two vineyards. Itās 72% Ramazotti, a low lying clayey vineyard near the river north of Geyserville. It has too much vigor, so Joe whacks back the canopy. The result is a wine that is richly fruity - sort of like a Grenache, but with no backbone whatsoever.
The other 28% comes from just across Hwy 101 in a stony serpentine (high magnesium) soil toxic to grapevines, hence the name Blue Rock Vineyards, owned by Kenny Kahn. The soil suppresses the vigor and yields a wine with little fruit but remorselessly tannic. This was just what I needed to frame the Ramazotti. The two together in just the right proportion make a seamless whole. Itās really showing well right now and should hold up for several years.
If you like the hard, ageworthy style, Blue Rock is making some dynamite wines these days.
@coynedj @trifecta @winesmith
I saw that the 2011 needs 3-5 years, but can we get a reasonable guess of the range for the 2012? I want to enter it into Cellar Tracker before I forget and accidentally drink this too soon!!!
@coynedj @trifecta @vaaccess The 2011 Two Jakes is not a Roman Reserve wine and only saw 26 months in neutral oak before bottling. It has certainly taken its time to develop and has plenty of longevity. You can certainly drink it now, and in a good cellar it could last at least another 5 year, maybe more. Itās a very clean classic style, still has plenty of fruit, and will acquire some tertiary bouquet in a predictable manner.
The 2012 Roman Reserve is another kettle of fish. Itās very similar to the 2010, which is just approaching its plateau of drinkability now and still improves with several days of breathing. It is in no way a conventional flavor profile and changes all the time as it breathes. Both wines saw about six years in old French oak and never had any SO2.
What can I tell you? Syrahs I made this way in 2004 and 2005 are still going strong. I wonāt bore you with the chemistry, but SO2, while considered an anti-oxidant by most winemakers, actually decreases the wineās oxygen appetite by an order of magnitude. Combine this with the intense minerality from volcanic soil and these wines may outlive us all.
Or not. Itās an exciting experiment.
@coynedj @vaaccess @winesmith If I had to venture a guess beyond what Clark is recommendingā¦ This likely wonāt shift in the next 5 years, so plan on decanting for 72+ hours. Maybe take a day of decanting off for each 5 years cellared. Not joking. I would not be surprised if this still needed a decant in 2035. Donāt wait too long on your first bottle. Once settled post shipping, open one and see the decanting experience for yourself and youāll get a feel for where you like it.
@winesmith I am in lust and in love with this wine. Thanks for offering it here.
Is this new? Do I already have this?
Too tired to get out of bed to look.
@karenhynes You have the '10.
@karenhynes Hi Karen! Yes, this is brand new. We just got through wax dipping the metallic purple wax this week!
@rjquillin
Thanks!..but did I drink any of them???
/giphy likeable-kept-shrew
/giphy thievish-rolly-glass
WineSmtih/Two Jakes Cab Franc is always fantastic
Got the email, got the wine, and again assembled the neighbors at an appropriate social distance for a tasting of the 2012 Two Jakes of Diamonds Cabernet Franc Roman Reserve. I have a previous vintage in the cellar hoping to hold it for many years to come. Having read previously Clarkās comments on Cab Franc and the Roman Reserve I knew I would have to open upon arrival and aerate for as many days as possible until the wine was offered on Casemates. Since none of the three of us have Cabernet Franc as a top five varietal we opened a bottle of 2014 Saviah Cabernet Franc from Walla Walla Washington to compare.
The wine had a garnet color and was a little cloudy. The initial nose was a bit funky, this improved with aeration and resolved by day two. On day 3 some herbs and violets were noted. Medium bodied, moderate plus acidity moderate tannins complemented with minerality. On the palate primarily tart cherry with subtle raspberry and a nice long peppery finish.
Although I would enjoy it as a cocktail wine most would find it a food friendly or food mandatory wine. In fact it was perfect with goat cheese and crackers, and paired perfectly with tonightās dinner of veal piccata.
The Walla Walla CF had an unremarkable nose, more fruit, much less acidity, tannins, and minerality resulting in a much smoother mouth feel. Itās good as a cocktail wine but did little to enhance the meal.
Being a parent of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot we expected a full bodied and more fruity wine. The three of us were surprise commenting āIt was not what I expected, but I really enjoyed it.ā We also felt it would pair well with tomato based Italian cuisine. In the future Iāll be looking for Cabernet Franc on the restaurant wine list.
Thanks for the opportunity to rat, the neighborhood has a lot of fun with it.
@moonhat is why there are no summer holidays in June.
@msten Thanks! Yes, the goat cheese idea is perfect. Right on about the tomato-based Italian cuisine (see my note about Tuscan white beans) but delicate Northern Italy style - not the Sicilian heavy sauce and cheese approach.
I canāt tell you how many times Iāve heard "not what I expected, but I really enjoyed it.ā
Itās funny that CF and SB are the parents of Cab Sauv. Itās like Woody Allen and Kira Sedgewick begat Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Most California winemakers donāt understand CF and treat it like CS or Merlot. As a result, it tends toward low color, high pyrazines (bell pepper veg) and grainy tannins.
If you want great Cab Franc in this masculine style, check out Chinon or Bourgeuil. If you prefer the WineSmith rounder, warmer, more feminine Bordeaux style, any good St. Emilion will do the trick, but itās nothing like this.
There are very good American Cab Francs in Colorado (Bookcliff Vineyards) and Virginia (Horton). If you like the leaner style like this, there are good ones in the Finger Lakes (Lakewood Vineyards). My very favorite is the Hawk Haven from Cape May , NJ.
@moonhat is why there are no summer holidays in June.
@mediocrebot @moonhat There is June 19th - the day blacks celebrate the end of slavery - āJune 'teenth.ā
@mediocrebot @moonhat Thereās Flag Day, Fatherās Day, my birthday!
@msten Thanks to you and your neighbors too.
Any PDX splits?
@winesmith @ winedavid49 Your Cab Franc is always an auto buy no matter how many boxes of wine I have piling up. You made me fall in love with this varietal and I am thankful you show this grape how well it can sing.
Any Seattleites in for a case split??
@lindylouwho I whispered earlier now iāll shout ā gOOd day iām willing to split let me know thanks
@lindylouwho You can count me in too, if youāre willing to do more than a two-way split.
@Allieroon I only want 4 bottles so am happy to give you 2. Iāve already ordered the case - I didnāt want to risk missing this offerā¦
@Allieroon
@putsch how many bottles do you want?
@Allieroon @lindylouwho i was going in at six but will settle for 4 for 3way split OR, Allieroon order a case to split with me ā lindylouwho if you only want 4 i can take 8. WINESMITH is an autobuy and i have another case ordered on the side. Iām good either way CHAZ peoples
@Allieroon @Putsch for sure an autobuy! Iām on a SIWBM but always make an exception for WineSmith. Iāll let the two of you work out if thereās enough interest in another case depending on how many bottles @Allieroom wantsā¦
@lindylouwho @Putsch Iāll take up to 6, but will settle for 3.
Any Chicago area split interest?
@karenhynes Iām in Deerfield but Iād split
@karenhynes If I was still in the area Iād jump on a split. As it is, Iāll probably have to pony up for a 3-pack on my own.
@pete0744
Sorry for the delay responding (work). Deerfield might be doable. I live in the city (River North) but work in Skokie. Let me know if youāre still interested. Cheers!
/giphy grouchy-assured-macaw
Thats like best thing ezcardinfo
/giphy taut-webbed-strawberry
/giphy yawny-misanthropic-blademaster
Watched the video, bought the book, now to order the wine. Just received the cab. sauv. yesterday.
@FritzCat The cab sauv is absolutely amazing.
@Twich22 Ordered! Canāt wait to try the cab sauv. Really bothered me that it rode around in a UPS truck all day Wednesday.
@FritzCat Yea, mine has been riding around for a few days now.
@FritzCat My UPS deliveries from CM have consistently been at least one day late, every single time. Can we switch back to FedEx please?
Winesmith case autobuy
/giphy unfortunate-barefoot-flame
In excited to taste.
/giphy crazy-erratic-manager
anyone in Denver area, Colorado interested in a few?
@jasisk Iād take two, in Denver
@jasisk Iād take 2-4
@jasisk hey there, did this ship/arrive yet?
@kristian @Cobrent Hey there. This wine did arrive, and has been sitting in my house for a couple weeks. At the moment we are on covid lockdown with a probable case. I figure better to hold on to it for a bit longer and not expose either of you, but if you want to set up a time to pick up at my house, we can try to make that arrangement. thanks, Joel
@CObrent @jasisk No rush. Stay healthy!
@CObrent @jasisk Hi Joel, hope this message gets to you at this hour. I have reason to be in your neighborhood tomorrow and could do a pick up if youāre around. Cheers, Kristian
Love every wine from Two Jakes I have bought. In for a case & very excited to try! Thank you!
/giphy gaunt-curt-gopher
Winesmith is always an auto buy for me. Canāt get enough of Clarkās wine, itās always the best. And you canāt beat these prices!
Shouldnāt have watched that video - it got me. Canāt wait to try (bought a case). The Syrah from them a while back was phenomenal.
I want to make sure you guys appreciate the courage and trust in my abilities that it took for Jake Stephens to invest in this crazy and expensive project. Any Davis-educated winemaker will tell you that this wine is impossible. Dr. Roger Boulton once made the statement that any wine without sulfites must be constantly refrigerated and drunk within a year.
I had the good fortune to have nine sulfite-free Roman Syrah vintages under my belt when we began using his Cab Franc, but it was still quite a gamble. I want here to acknowledge the kind of partnership Jake and I have forged over the last 12 years. He told me the other day āI guess weāre joined at the hip whether we like it or not.ā
As a result of Jakeās generosity, you have the rare chance to taste impossible wine. Every wine I make calls into question the received wisdom of modern enology. In the 2012 RR CF you have the opportunity, just this once, to look back in time to the ancient wisdom weāve lost track of. This wine isnāt a beverage - itās a dissenting minority opinion.
@winesmith āJust a small revolutionā¦ā
/giphy ugly-mainstream-crowd
I would have loved to get 12 of these, but alas, have too much wine still in casesā¦
/giphy jovial-trained-scrooge
@jaxboating
Are you in Jacksonville?
@pseudogourmet98
I am in Jax Beach, just east of there. Are you in Florida? I think I saw one of your posts and it might have said Gainesville?
@jaxboating
Yes. Gainesville. Trying to put together a group of (somewhat) locals for splits and gatherings. Interested?
@pseudogourmet98
That would be great. It would be nice if we could see who in casemates is close to usā¦ I donāt know of a way to find that information easily.
@jaxboating @pseudogourmet98 @chipgreen
You could start a localized thread as others have done, or perhaps @winedavid49 or @dave has an update on CM tools to help with sharing.
@dave @jaxboating @pseudogourmet98 @rjquillin @Winedavid49
Good one!
/giphy mysterious-independent-pineapple
3 bottles headed to central Missouri:
/giphy occlusive-watchful-tomato
Well Iāve been looking for something to drink when I retire 20 years from now. In for a case!
/giphy ridiculous-dopey-floor
Last minute call, couldnāt pass it up!
/giphy prickly-charming-toucan
@WCCWineGirl it looks like UPS lost my package for this several weeks ago. I just got notified about it today. It doesnāt look like they have found it yet but I canāt really tell. Not sure what to do about it but I donāt like the idea of receiving a box of wine that got lost for several weeks, especially wine that I plan to cellar for a few decades.
@WCCWineGirl nevermind. It looks like the package is just shipping now. Not sure why it was showing that it shipped a few weeks ago. All is well!
My package arrived today, cool to the touch, no heat in box on delivery! Thanks to my great UPS guy!!
Mine arrived at 5:48pm yesterday. We had morning thunderstorms which thankfully cooled the day (low 70s, as compared to near 90 previous days). After a day in the truck the bottles were at 82Ā°F upon arrival. Could have been much worse!
Received mine, as well, but temps were in the mid 80ās, but still less than 2 days after it was shipped.
In a philosophical sense, the temps are almost fitting, and have to be better than those experienced by the Romans in the caves of Campania (think Pompeii and Herculaneum.) Iām sure it will be fine, and its short time at a cool room temp for Italy, in the summer, will only add to its character.
Shipping a week early has but me in a bad situation. I am not home this week and UPS will hit three attempts before I return.
UPS refuses to let me change the delivery without the āInfoNoticeā number on the the missed delivery notice. But I have no way to get that until next week when it is too late.
@fibrs86
Sorry, I made a mistake in the way I responded to your message, please see the next one, but itās possible that Casemates might be able to address this as well; money talks, and they pay the bills here.
Just another possibility, and good luck, once again.
@CroutonOllie I figured out how to put a delivery hold on my address for UPS. That should do the trick. I always forget how inflexible UPS is.
Iām sure 9 out of 10 people who ordered this offering didnāt mind getting a week early.
To UPS a delivery hold means ākeep attempting to deliver packagesā I guess this wine is headed back to California.
@fibrs86
One would think that you could get them to keep it at an area hub, where you might be inconvenienced by having to pick it up yourself, but at least it would be available and out of the delivery truck environment. As for their counter intuitive use of the word āholdā, it seems to be bureaucracy at its ābestā.
Iām sure youāve exhausted your local possibilities, like getting friends/family/co-workers to grab it, or at least give you their magic number from the failed delivery attempt slips, but if you end up without your order, Iāll give you one of mine and it WONāT be shipped UPS.
@CroutonOllie Ha. That a very kind offer. I will have the InfoNotice tomorrow, so I will see how things settle.
@fibrs86 Hopefully itāll all work out fine. I was going to open a bottle here, upon receipt, but I decided not to, so I have 3 sitting here should you want one.
@CroutonOllie A $6 reschedule fee and a week later, the wine has finally arrived. The wait felt long, but will be short compared to the years before I drink any.
I should clarify that UPS charged the fee, not casemates.
@fibrs86 Glad to hear that all worked out, and I plan to hold mine for awhile, as well. Too many times Iāve consumed early, things that I wish I had held. Unless I feel the Covid coming on, these will be safe, and even then Iāll only be opening one!
That sounds like a procedural issue, that should easily be able to be addressed.
You have the tracking number, just escalate it further up their āchain of command,ā as with all of this Covid crap, you might have just encountered someone new, inexperienced, or lazy.
Good luck.