The father of Cabernet Sauvignon, this grape is among the most challenging to work with and seldom is bottled as a pure varietal. Its great vigor requires bright sunlight and a limiting soil to prevent excessive fruit shading, but its delicate aromas will also easily burn off.
Diamond Ridge is located in a sunny, high-altitude site with rocky volcanic soils which force Cabernet Franc to put its energy into pushing its roots down into the rock, resulting in a lively mineral energy in the wine’s finish. These conditions develop good color and firm but refined tannins which impart amazing age-worthiness.
Because of its proximity to Clear Lake, the site is also blessed with a “lake effect” – 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.
The 2016 was harvested on September 27, fermented traditionally with extended maceration, and aged in neutral French oak for 56 months to resolve its incredible reductive strength. For roundness and fat, we co-fermented with 23% Merlot. Age has added a tobacco bouquet to its spicy cherry and rosemary aromas which resemble a well-aged Graves. The resulting palate possesses a sweet core of fruit which is framed by soft tannins and a bright mineral finish.
A perfect accompaniment to steak béarnaise or wild mushroom dishes, the wine loves open fires and Bruce Springsteen’s Jungleland.
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 firsthand 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 world’s largest wine production consulting firm over its 17-year history.
Frustrated with California’s 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 possibilities 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.
Teaching at Napa Valley College gave him access to the Student Vineyard for Faux Chablis and his Pauillac-style $100 “Crucible” Cabernet Sauvignon. From Renaissance Vineyards in North Yuba County, he has made a sulfite-free Roman Syrah and also produces a Pinot Noir from Fiddlestix Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills in a delicate, age-worthy Côtes de Beaune style. These wines are vinified in an ancient beat-up warehouse in Sebastopol, California.
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 “What is this wine trying to teach me?” 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 that are controversial and is outspoken in explaining his rationale.
His book, Postmodern Winemaking, is the culmination of four decades of reflection on wine’s true nature.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Yes, I tried the first couple years to make a pure varietal, but I was unhappy for two reasons. One was it took over eight years to open up. Secondly, since I was trying to make a St. Emillion forgery as opposed to a Loire style, I wanted some feminine “gras” - i.e. body fat to round out the texture. What I started doing was to crush 10 tons of Merlot, then bleed the juice off into my 100-ton Merlot tank, then crush 23 tons of CF on top. This way I got a lot of Merlot skins but kept the 78% varietal CF. I love the result, and have done it ever since. The pomegranites in the nose are from the Merlot, whereas the white cherry and cinnamon if from the Cab Franc.
Once again proving the tremendous skills of those working their magic with 100% Cab Franc bottlings in the Finger Lakes. When will the FLX get more love here? Such a shame.
@winesmith Curious what you mean with that statement. Been going to the FLX for nearly 20 years and have become good friends with a number of owners and winemakers. I’ve never heard anyone say they didn’t like the wines they were making or selling. They wouldn’t put their name on them or sell them if this was the case. Their weather and the economics don’t support it either.
@shrimp74 The situation reminds me of Monterey, where historically the Cab Sauv in the late '70s was high in pyrazines due to own roots and excessive watering. When I surveyed 126 Monterey Cty wines in 2008 for AppellationAmerica.com, I didn’t find a single wine so afflicted, but I did see a lot of winemaking practices aimed at decreasing pyrazines - long hang time, whole berry fermentation and so forth – that I thought were unnecessary. I see the same thing in FLX. Fighting the last war, so to speak. I mean no disrespect at all, and I’m not saying anything about unmerchantability. All I said s that I like these wines a lot and don’t see the pyrazines or herbal character as something to work against.
@winesmith Completely understand where you were going. Sorry if it was taken out of context. No harm, no foul. Entirely agree with fighting/not fighting the inherent nature of the grape. Many have greatly achieved this with vitis vinifera thanks to the Konstantin Frank(s) and even, to an extent, the Charles Fournier(s) of the region and world. Maybe time and continued success with Riesling and Gerwurtz will assist. Thanks for the insight!!
@shrimp74@winesmith@woopdedoo Lovely! Say hi to them for us…we haven’t seen them in ages.
If you go that far from the border, we’ve really liked Leaning Post. They’re doing some really interesting stuff.
Harbour Estates in Jordan is still doing well despite the change in ownership. Their icewine library is amazing.
@shrimp74@winesmith If you’re looking for CF in the FLX region, don’t overlook Shaw Vineyards. Steve Shaw may be a bit eccentric, but he makes some wonderful wine, and he cares for it well. We were at the winery a few years ago and bought some of the 2015 CF, but he hadn’t released the 2013 yet because he didn’t feel it was ready. We haven’t seen that situation often, but it’s what I meant by he cares for it well.
@ddeuddeg@winesmith It’s outstanding that you bring up Steve Shaw. Whenever we tell people to visit the winery when they’re on Seneca, we “warn” them about the tasting room. Typically the first comment we hear isn’t about the tasting room, but the wines. We were up there 3 weeks ago and he had just released 2016 CF and was selling 2012 Merlot. I think the most recent red for purchase was 2017 Pinot. Eccentric yes, but really humble too. Met him last year and gave us time and insight about himself and the winery that was quite surprising. Dave Flatt, on the other side of the lake, makes similar styled wines that might rival Shaw’s. I’m not sure if mentor is the right term but something along those lines. In any event, they both make wines unselfishly, forgoing present cash flow for greater future returns.
@ddeuddeg@shrimp74@winesmith
Our most recent FLX trip was 2019. We were surprised that Hermann Weimer, known mostly for their Rieslings, had an excellent Cab Franc.
@lehigh I was hoping for 4 myself – hopefully we can get one more taker (though we’ll see if my resolve cracks). I enjoyed this in the mixed reds offering from last year.
Cab Francs are one of my favorite wines (after petite syrah’s) which I feel is normally under-represented on CM. WineSmith is always high sought after, and the case price is right here.
I remember the last offering though and the details around this variant, and I don’t think I could take the leap for a whole case as I have a feeling this specific wine will be too much for my wife and myself.
I’ll have to let this one simmer on the brain for the next day!
Wow! This is a very nice wine. Starts out with a little bit of a white cherry taste that is well recognized in the bouquet prior to sipping. I highly recommend giving it time to breathe. Once the flavors open up, it becomes a wonderful evening sipping wine and leaves you asking exactly what those flavors are?
One thing I noticed on the label is the suggestion of truffle flavor. I am in the Italian Truffle business and I had a hard time finding those flavors. Although, there is something smooth in the aftertaste. Those silky tannins coming through.
Overall, I really enjoyed this wine. Well done WineSmith Cellars!
@DaveSanborn You cannot come in to a forum where everyone imagines themselves as an epicurian, drop, “I work in the Italian truffle business” and just walk away.
It is like walking into a food kitchen, stating that you have a catering business, and then leaving.
WHAT? You have to provide more. Besides mafia, no offense to Italians. I can say that because we aren’t all snowflakes. https://gourmetattitude.com/
If you can hook up WD with a discount, good for you. Otherwise, come on, man. Did you have to say you work in the truffle industry. That is like, what 1k people max?
@DaveSanborn@KNmeh7
For decades this poor guy has posed very successfully as a professional musician - smooth jazz’s best saxophonist, no less (Sorry, Kenny G) - to cover for his true career in the Italian truffle industry. He makes one discreet little comment about it and you blow the whole lid off the thing! No truffles for you!
@KNmeh7 It’s true…I work for the largest producing truffle company in the world. I run all the retail and grocery business here in the USA. I truly enjoy wine and fine food.
As for the other gig……no. But I did get a lot of room upgrades at hotels during the peak era of his album releases.
And discounts are always available if you know the right person
@DaveSanborn@KNmeh7@WineDavid49
Hopefully WineDavid will see this… and Dave, you should carry a saxophone case around there might still be some upgrades available for you!
@lionel47@winecaseaholic Woof, woof! I already have almost a case in the cellar, but I ordered another when seeing this last night- I really enjoy this wine. Plus, I had shared a bottle with a friend last month, he loved it, and wants me to order a case for him also.
/giphy elegant-disturbed-motion
/giphy stereotyped-ratty-scout
Anyone Midlands SC (or Charleston, if you’re willing to wait until I head that way – kid at Citadel) want to split? I don’t have space or $$ for 12, but 6 would be awesome.
@buffaloroam In the previous offer (linked in one of the early posts), it was reported that well-stored it could age “for decades” and then there was some follow-up discussion. But included comments like (intend to keep some for 10 years). So it seems like a very long window.
@buffaloroam Yes, this stuff ages very well. It’s only now beginning to acquire its tertiary aromas. No question that it will gain complexity for a decade, then hold for another decade in a good cellar.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2016 WineSmith Cabernet Franc - $60 = 23.06%
@83fxwg for the answer, my friend, don’t look for what’s blowin’ in the wind, but look where the buffalo roam a few posts up. (not sure that’s the right buffalo image)
2016 WineSmith Cabernet Franc
I was a lucky recipient of one of the labrat bottles for this offer. I will say upfront that I am a fan-boy of Clark’s wines, so feel free to consider that.
Wifey and I PnP’d this wine a day after receiving it. It was a deep garnet color in the glass. As per usual with Clark’s reds, my first impression of the bouquet was straight up barrel room but I tried to isolate some of the elements that make up that heady melange. Beautiful nose of plum, cherry and mocha powder.
The palate was similar to the nose, with plum, bright cherry and cocoa. My wife said it was like a chocolate covered cherry. The wine has a very smooth mouthfeel with that little tingle of minerality that is so familiar in Clark’s wines. Body is medium, finish is medium+.
It was getting late for dinner, so we needed to fix something quickly to go with the wine. Grilled cheese and tomato soup seemed apropos, so I made myself a double-decker since I am watching my weight.
We do love our comfort food and this Cab Franc was like a comfort wine that paired surprisingly well. The grilled cheese and creaminess of the soup brought out hints of the sage, truffle, parmesan and garrigue that Clark mentions in his notes. The bottle was gone before we knew it!
I still have 4 bottles from the last offer (not to mention all the bottles of past vintages!) so I am probably on the sidelines here but highly recommend anyone who is on the fence to take the plunge.
Winesmith is a Hack! Casemates is a Scam! The Rats are all Shills! I don’t like Cab Franc! Red Wine gives me a Headache! I have Too Much Wine! I have Too Little Money! Yeah…I’m in for a case. Thanks for doin’ what you do Clark!
It’s true…I work for the largest producing truffle company in the world. I run all the retail and grocery business here in the USA. I truly enjoy wine and fine food.
As for the other gig……no. But I did get a lot of room upgrades at hotels during the peak era of his album releases.
Again, I will say that this is a great wine and someone mentioned that it ages well. 100% agree.
Cheers!
And discounts are always available if you know the right person
@winesmith I am traveling the last week of august/first week of September and UPS will only hold for a week so trying to make sure I don’t miss delivery.
@eastcoastmary@winesmith@WineDavid49 I’ll once again chime in for a “buy-and-hold-for-shipment” service where we could make purchases and they would be stored in a climate-controlled warehouse, not in a UPS truck, and upon some notification, you could say “NOW send me the $1000 of wine I ordered over the Summer” vs taking the $300 of wine you end up ordering because you were worried about it shipping in the heat or you not being available to sign for it. So, think of the profit motive to maybe offer this service! – more sales, and you could even charge a ‘nominal’ fee for the storage service. Provided it is not stored in a UPS trailer parked at a truck stop for a few weeks.
Thanks to all for the suggestions for FLX reds, especially the specific vineyards. I live in the FLX area and am currently visiting my son in Ithaca, NY. I struggle when buying FLX reds as they generally lack “mouth feel” or “body”, at least in my price range. I just checked the local wine shop for local reds ( wineries on Seneca and Cayuga lakes) and, while there were more CF offerings than I had anticipated, the prices are inline with, or higher, than the 3 bottle offer. As much as I like to support local businesses, those prices are in my “special occasion” bracket, not “daily drinker” range (two children still in college). That makes it tough to buy “taste unseen” without actually visiting the winery for a taste. Even the case offer here stretches things, but I know what I am getting because of past purchases. I will make an effort to stop at the Shaw and Flatt wineries–one or two bottles here and there can qualify as special occasions . Hearts and Hands near Aurora makes a nice Pinot, as well, but I havent tried there CF. Please keep up the discussions of local wines from all regions.
It’s 10 months later and I’m down to my last bottle. I opened tonight and I have to say it taste off and a bit vinegary. I didn’t have any issues with the rest of the case so wonder if this is an age issue, past it’s prime? or bad bottle. Anyone else have similar experience?
2016 WineSmith Cabernet Franc, Lake County
Tasting Notes
Fermentation techniques
Elevage details
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$480.00/Case for 12x 2016 WineSmith Cabernet Franc, Lake County at WineSmith
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Aug 28 - Tuesday, Aug 29
2016 WineSmith Cabernet Franc
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
And this isn’t a pure varietal wine either!
WD really did load up for his vacation, wow!
@klezman lol yes, WD should vacation more often.
@klezman @WCCWineGirl
And the 'mates pay for it!
@klezman
Yes, I tried the first couple years to make a pure varietal, but I was unhappy for two reasons. One was it took over eight years to open up. Secondly, since I was trying to make a St. Emillion forgery as opposed to a Loire style, I wanted some feminine “gras” - i.e. body fat to round out the texture. What I started doing was to crush 10 tons of Merlot, then bleed the juice off into my 100-ton Merlot tank, then crush 23 tons of CF on top. This way I got a lot of Merlot skins but kept the 78% varietal CF. I love the result, and have done it ever since. The pomegranites in the nose are from the Merlot, whereas the white cherry and cinnamon if from the Cab Franc.
@winesmith interesting… As always!
Once again proving the tremendous skills of those working their magic with 100% Cab Franc bottlings in the Finger Lakes. When will the FLX get more love here? Such a shame.
@shrimp74 I’m with you. I like FLX CF a lot more than its producers do.
@winesmith Curious what you mean with that statement. Been going to the FLX for nearly 20 years and have become good friends with a number of owners and winemakers. I’ve never heard anyone say they didn’t like the wines they were making or selling. They wouldn’t put their name on them or sell them if this was the case. Their weather and the economics don’t support it either.
@shrimp74 The situation reminds me of Monterey, where historically the Cab Sauv in the late '70s was high in pyrazines due to own roots and excessive watering. When I surveyed 126 Monterey Cty wines in 2008 for AppellationAmerica.com, I didn’t find a single wine so afflicted, but I did see a lot of winemaking practices aimed at decreasing pyrazines - long hang time, whole berry fermentation and so forth – that I thought were unnecessary. I see the same thing in FLX. Fighting the last war, so to speak. I mean no disrespect at all, and I’m not saying anything about unmerchantability. All I said s that I like these wines a lot and don’t see the pyrazines or herbal character as something to work against.
@winesmith Completely understand where you were going. Sorry if it was taken out of context. No harm, no foul. Entirely agree with fighting/not fighting the inherent nature of the grape. Many have greatly achieved this with vitis vinifera thanks to the Konstantin Frank(s) and even, to an extent, the Charles Fournier(s) of the region and world. Maybe time and continued success with Riesling and Gerwurtz will assist. Thanks for the insight!!
@shrimp74 @winesmith don’t forget the Niagara Peninsula then. Fantastic cab franc - too bad they seem to really to grow more cab sauv.
@klezman @shrimp74 @winesmith Thanks! - I am heading to the Niagara Peninsula tomorrow for some tasting - meeting up with Don and Bonnie.
@shrimp74 @winesmith @woopdedoo Lovely! Say hi to them for us…we haven’t seen them in ages.
If you go that far from the border, we’ve really liked Leaning Post. They’re doing some really interesting stuff.
Harbour Estates in Jordan is still doing well despite the change in ownership. Their icewine library is amazing.
@klezman They do make some marvelous CF in that region.
@shrimp74 @winesmith If you’re looking for CF in the FLX region, don’t overlook Shaw Vineyards. Steve Shaw may be a bit eccentric, but he makes some wonderful wine, and he cares for it well. We were at the winery a few years ago and bought some of the 2015 CF, but he hadn’t released the 2013 yet because he didn’t feel it was ready. We haven’t seen that situation often, but it’s what I meant by he cares for it well.
@ddeuddeg @shrimp74 @winesmith Red Newt, too. Their Merlot is also great.
@ddeuddeg @winesmith It’s outstanding that you bring up Steve Shaw. Whenever we tell people to visit the winery when they’re on Seneca, we “warn” them about the tasting room. Typically the first comment we hear isn’t about the tasting room, but the wines. We were up there 3 weeks ago and he had just released 2016 CF and was selling 2012 Merlot. I think the most recent red for purchase was 2017 Pinot. Eccentric yes, but really humble too. Met him last year and gave us time and insight about himself and the winery that was quite surprising. Dave Flatt, on the other side of the lake, makes similar styled wines that might rival Shaw’s. I’m not sure if mentor is the right term but something along those lines. In any event, they both make wines unselfishly, forgoing present cash flow for greater future returns.
@ddeuddeg @shrimp74 @winesmith
Our most recent FLX trip was 2019. We were surprised that Hermann Weimer, known mostly for their Rieslings, had an excellent Cab Franc.
@klezman @shrimp74 @woopdedoo Don’t miss Tawse. My favorite Niagara winery.
@shrimp74 @winesmith @woopdedoo they’re great. Recently had a bottle of their 2012 Cab Franc that was fantastic.
Was offered here Aug '21, notes and rats.
@kaolis thanks for the reminder that I was a rat for this two years ago! Maybe I should get some this time but I’m still in the overstock situation.
Alright, Columbus peeps – who can I talk into a split?
@fermentedwisdom me, for 3 or 4. Can’t do 6 I don’t think. Last CF I had from Winesmith was purchased in 2018!
@lehigh I was hoping for 4 myself – hopefully we can get one more taker (though we’ll see if my resolve cracks). I enjoyed this in the mixed reds offering from last year.
@fermentedwisdom
I’ll take 4 to finish off the case.
Cab Francs are one of my favorite wines (after petite syrah’s) which I feel is normally under-represented on CM. WineSmith is always high sought after, and the case price is right here.
I remember the last offering though and the details around this variant, and I don’t think I could take the leap for a whole case as I have a feeling this specific wine will be too much for my wife and myself.
I’ll have to let this one simmer on the brain for the next day!
where is @winesmith
@rjquillin Thanks for the heads-up, Ron. I missed the memo.
Wow! This is a very nice wine. Starts out with a little bit of a white cherry taste that is well recognized in the bouquet prior to sipping. I highly recommend giving it time to breathe. Once the flavors open up, it becomes a wonderful evening sipping wine and leaves you asking exactly what those flavors are?
One thing I noticed on the label is the suggestion of truffle flavor. I am in the Italian Truffle business and I had a hard time finding those flavors. Although, there is something smooth in the aftertaste. Those silky tannins coming through.
Overall, I really enjoyed this wine. Well done WineSmith Cellars!
@DaveSanborn thanks for the report
@DaveSanborn You cannot come in to a forum where everyone imagines themselves as an epicurian, drop, “I work in the Italian truffle business” and just walk away.
It is like walking into a food kitchen, stating that you have a catering business, and then leaving.
WHAT? You have to provide more. Besides mafia, no offense to Italians. I can say that because we aren’t all snowflakes. https://gourmetattitude.com/
If you can hook up WD with a discount, good for you. Otherwise, come on, man. Did you have to say you work in the truffle industry. That is like, what 1k people max?
@DaveSanborn @KNmeh7
For decades this poor guy has posed very successfully as a professional musician - smooth jazz’s best saxophonist, no less (Sorry, Kenny G) - to cover for his true career in the Italian truffle industry. He makes one discreet little comment about it and you blow the whole lid off the thing! No truffles for you!
@KNmeh7 It’s true…I work for the largest producing truffle company in the world. I run all the retail and grocery business here in the USA. I truly enjoy wine and fine food.
As for the other gig……no. But I did get a lot of room upgrades at hotels during the peak era of his album releases.
And discounts are always available if you know the right person
@DaveSanborn @KNmeh7 @WineDavid49
Hopefully WineDavid will see this… and Dave, you should carry a saxophone case around there might still be some upgrades available for you!
@chipgreen @DaveSanborn @KNmeh7 @Winedavid49 someone say tr trr trru trruf trufff truffle??
ha!
@chipgreen @DaveSanborn @kaolis @KNmeh7 @Winedavid49
Well, I generally purchase Sabatino online.
Should I be getting yours, or, are those yours?
@chipgreen @DaveSanborn @kaolis @KNmeh7 @rjquillin @Winedavid49 Isn’t Urbani the largest truffle company?
@chipgreen @DaveSanborn @kaolis @KNmeh7 @rjquillin @Winedavid49
Sabatino is the best imho
@chipgreen @kaolis @KNmeh7 @rjquillin @ScottW58 @Winedavid49 Urbani Tartufi is the worlds largest. And authentic Italian. 170 years old and still family owned and operated.
Sabatino products are made in the USA, not Italy.
www.urbani.com for USA orders. Or PM me.
@chipgreen @DaveSanborn @KNmeh7 @rjquillin @ScottW58 @Winedavid49 I usually go Urbani. I had a little shipping/customer service issue on a previous offer but it was eventually resolved. Waiting patiently for that burrata to come back in stock.
@chipgreen @DaveSanborn @kaolis @KNmeh7 @rjquillin @Winedavid49
Well to be fair I have never bought “products” from sabatino just truffles. Next day delivery from the east coast was nice.
@chipgreen @DaveSanborn @KNmeh7 @rjquillin @ScottW58 @Winedavid49 I don’t generally buy products either, just truffles, but the burrata is tasty, probably spoofalated but that’s ok. I’ve used Sabatino as well for truffles, no complaints
@chipgreen @DaveSanborn @kaolis @KNmeh7 @ScottW58 @Winedavid49 Not too enthusiastic on products either, well, there are a few I’ll use, but mostly just those wonderful underground products for our house.
[talk about thread creep!]
I happened to be listening to an interview podcast with Clark just before I saw this deal. I took that as fate and bought a case.
@Plenny7 Yes, I’ve had a couple of entertaining interviews of late. One on The Organic Wine Podcast and another with Jim Duane of Inside Winemaking.
@winesmith and it was both of those podcasts I was listening too last night!
I actually don’t believe in fate, but I do believe in good wine, hence the purchase.
My cash flow tells me to wait till tomorrow but my cellar says get it now. Decisions, decisions…
@lionel47 casemates allows you to buy two cases, buy one today, buy another tomorrow. Problem solved…
@winecaseaholic but it creates another problem: doghouse.
@lionel47 @winecaseaholic Woof, woof! I already have almost a case in the cellar, but I ordered another when seeing this last night- I really enjoy this wine. Plus, I had shared a bottle with a friend last month, he loved it, and wants me to order a case for him also.
/giphy elegant-disturbed-motion
/giphy stereotyped-ratty-scout
@lionel47 @winecaseaholic Dog house = Wine storage.
Problem solved.
@lionel47 @winecaseaholic You mean this doghouse?
Anyone Midlands SC (or Charleston, if you’re willing to wait until I head that way – kid at Citadel) want to split? I don’t have space or $$ for 12, but 6 would be awesome.
VAN MURALS! GROUND SQUIRRELS! SPIT CURLS! AWESOME!
@winesmith what is the drink window? thanks
@buffaloroam In the previous offer (linked in one of the early posts), it was reported that well-stored it could age “for decades” and then there was some follow-up discussion. But included comments like (intend to keep some for 10 years). So it seems like a very long window.
@buffaloroam Yes, this stuff ages very well. It’s only now beginning to acquire its tertiary aromas. No question that it will gain complexity for a decade, then hold for another decade in a good cellar.
/giphy woozy-yucky-class
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2016 WineSmith Cabernet Franc - $60 = 23.06%
Hey Clark@winesmith! What’s the drinking window on this?
@83fxwg for the answer, my friend, don’t look for what’s blowin’ in the wind, but look where the buffalo roam a few posts up.
(not sure that’s the right buffalo image)
See my response to @buffaloroam above.
Here’s a video from two years ago when we first released this vintage.
Gonna split this case with my father. He’s a big fan of the 2015 St. Laurent which I’m sipping now!
/giphy magenta-uneven-stem
2016 WineSmith Cabernet Franc
I was a lucky recipient of one of the labrat bottles for this offer. I will say upfront that I am a fan-boy of Clark’s wines, so feel free to consider that.
Wifey and I PnP’d this wine a day after receiving it. It was a deep garnet color in the glass. As per usual with Clark’s reds, my first impression of the bouquet was straight up barrel room but I tried to isolate some of the elements that make up that heady melange. Beautiful nose of plum, cherry and mocha powder.
The palate was similar to the nose, with plum, bright cherry and cocoa. My wife said it was like a chocolate covered cherry. The wine has a very smooth mouthfeel with that little tingle of minerality that is so familiar in Clark’s wines. Body is medium, finish is medium+.
It was getting late for dinner, so we needed to fix something quickly to go with the wine. Grilled cheese and tomato soup seemed apropos, so I made myself a double-decker since I am watching my weight.
We do love our comfort food and this Cab Franc was like a comfort wine that paired surprisingly well. The grilled cheese and creaminess of the soup brought out hints of the sage, truffle, parmesan and garrigue that Clark mentions in his notes. The bottle was gone before we knew it!
I still have 4 bottles from the last offer (not to mention all the bottles of past vintages!) so I am probably on the sidelines here but highly recommend anyone who is on the fence to take the plunge.
@chipgreen Never saw a grilled cheese (with soup and wine) look so good!
@chipgreen @pmarin extra points for correctly spelling palate
Here’s a playlist to go with the wine, courtesy of @winesmith
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1NL15MmG3U1TJPkjfIwjlt?si=-fDTHKodRvy6SB2-_S4vaQ
@Plenny7 https://pairingwineandmusic.wordpress.com/
@Plenny7
Is there any David Sanborn on that list?
Clark, do you have any playlists on Amazon streaming? If so, how would I find them?
@Plenny7 Shamless shilling, but for Clark, why not!
@chipgreen @Plenny7 My playlists are on Shopify.com. Go to pairingwineandmusic.com and click on Playlists for free downloadable playlists for a large variety of wine types.
@chipgreen @Plenny7 @winesmith Shopify a typo? Spotify?
@chipgreen @InFrom @Plenny7 Duh. Yes, it’s Spotify.com. We actually use both. Thanks for the catch.
Winesmith is a Hack! Casemates is a Scam! The Rats are all Shills! I don’t like Cab Franc! Red Wine gives me a Headache! I have Too Much Wine! I have Too Little Money! Yeah…I’m in for a case. Thanks for doin’ what you do Clark!
It’s true…I work for the largest producing truffle company in the world. I run all the retail and grocery business here in the USA. I truly enjoy wine and fine food.
As for the other gig……no. But I did get a lot of room upgrades at hotels during the peak era of his album releases.
Again, I will say that this is a great wine and someone mentioned that it ages well. 100% agree.
Cheers!
And discounts are always available if you know the right person
@DaveSanborn @WineDavid49
Wine David offers some fine foods through the woot.com grocery section. Hopefully you can work something out!
Any idea of when this will ship?
@eastcoastmary
In my experience (in Ohio), Casemates wines have generally arrived 2-3 weeks after ordering. Closer to 2 weeks on my recent-ish orders.
@eastcoastmary Much depends on the weather. If the country’s in a heat dome, shipment will be delayed, as it should be.
@winesmith I am traveling the last week of august/first week of September and UPS will only hold for a week so trying to make sure I don’t miss delivery.
@eastcoastmary @winesmith @WineDavid49 I’ll once again chime in for a “buy-and-hold-for-shipment” service where we could make purchases and they would be stored in a climate-controlled warehouse, not in a UPS truck, and upon some notification, you could say “NOW send me the $1000 of wine I ordered over the Summer” vs taking the $300 of wine you end up ordering because you were worried about it shipping in the heat or you not being available to sign for it. So, think of the profit motive to maybe offer this service! – more sales, and you could even charge a ‘nominal’ fee for the storage service. Provided it is not stored in a UPS trailer parked at a truck stop for a few weeks.
@pmarin @Winedavid49 @winesmith Great idea!
Tried to pass it up but couldn’t; Clark never disappoints.
/giphy rickety-amateur-view
Anyone in Tampa area want to split a case?
@free2day33611
I’d be interested in a split.
@pseudogourmet98
Did not order case, if you did I would happy to split it.
@mrn1@chipgreen @mrn1 @xena67 @scott0210 @mehnyblooms @croutonollie @north316 @Boatman72 @docjavadude @pjmartin @KCountry @CroutonOllie @HopHeadB @marikar
Any of the NEO crew up for a split(s)? I would do the whole case but have been out of room for quite a while. Still don’t want to pass this one up.
It’ll be warm out for another couple of months. I can cuddle my wine in the dog house.
/giphy bold-majestic-chain
In for 2 cases…I’ll find room somewhere
@sosptuba I’d get double secret probation for that.
@lionel47 @sosptuba For me, there would be nothing secret about it and I would not get probation! (Yes, I know the reference.)
Thanks to all for the suggestions for FLX reds, especially the specific vineyards. I live in the FLX area and am currently visiting my son in Ithaca, NY. I struggle when buying FLX reds as they generally lack “mouth feel” or “body”, at least in my price range. I just checked the local wine shop for local reds ( wineries on Seneca and Cayuga lakes) and, while there were more CF offerings than I had anticipated, the prices are inline with, or higher, than the 3 bottle offer. As much as I like to support local businesses, those prices are in my “special occasion” bracket, not “daily drinker” range (two children still in college). That makes it tough to buy “taste unseen” without actually visiting the winery for a taste. Even the case offer here stretches things, but I know what I am getting because of past purchases. I will make an effort to stop at the Shaw and Flatt wineries–one or two bottles here and there can qualify as special occasions
. Hearts and Hands near Aurora makes a nice Pinot, as well, but I havent tried there CF. Please keep up the discussions of local wines from all regions.
Ooh a sold out! Great job @winesmith , something to celebrate on tomorrow’s Zoom call!!
It’s 10 months later and I’m down to my last bottle. I opened tonight and I have to say it taste off and a bit vinegary. I didn’t have any issues with the rest of the case so wonder if this is an age issue, past it’s prime? or bad bottle. Anyone else have similar experience?
I have opened 2 bottles of WS-CF 2016 (purchase 8-9-23) on 7-4-24 & 7-9-24, and they were both undrinkable.
I just opened a bottle last night (from an earlier offering) and everyone was highly impressed.