Frank Family Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
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Round, rich in fruit and expansive on the palate, the 2016 Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon exudes layers of espresso, black fruit, and graphite. Full bodied, it does not hold back in power yet succeeds in finding balance. The structured finish suggests it has potential to age, in the correct cellar conditions, for years to come.
Blend 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Concentrated, refined and mannerly, this bottling makes good use of its currant and dried black cherry fruit and hints of crème brûlée to repeat its high standing with us. It is supple, rich and a tad rounded, but never soft, on the palate with supportive acid giving it both energy and length. Its late-arriving tannins provide the grip to stand up to savory meats today and also help assure a long and happy voyage in the cellar. For our part, it deserves to rest five years or more.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: My history with Frank Family goes back nearly two decades. I have always kept a watchful eye on what they were doing. I knew that over time, this winery would become of the Napa Valley's top performers. The 2016 Frank Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the winery's best wines to date. TASTING NOTES: This wine is demonstrative and well-structured. Its powerful yet stately aromas and flavors of bold black fruits start and stay beautiful to the wine's finish. A hint of oak adds to the complexity. Pair it with a standing rib roast laden with garlic, rosemary, and cracked black peppercorns. (Tasted: July 18, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Containing a 2% splash of Petit Verdot, the very deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon RHF opens with fragrant cassis, mocha, underbrush and preserved plums scents with touches of iron ore and dried herbs. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and savory in the mouth with a good concentration of muscular fruit and a savory finish.
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Wine Spectator
The dark currant and steeped plum fruit is framed by singed alder, dark tobacco and sassafras notes, with a hint of licorice root. Grippy through the finish, offering a tarry edge. A touch brawny overall, but showing good energy. Give this a little time. Best from 2021 through 2032.
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Take a trip back in time at the Frank Family Vineyards. First constructed as the Larkmead Winery in 1884, the building was refinished with native sandstone from the nearby hills in 1906 and still stands tall today. The massive stone edifice is considered an archetype of California’s wine country; it appears on the National Register of Historical Places and is listed as a Point of Historical Interest in the state of California.
Owner Richard Frank focuses his energies on making superb still wines. The winery produces Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Sangiovese and several distinctly different Cabernet Sauvignons. The highly regarded Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, which is barrel aged for two and one-half years, is emerging as one of the most sought after wines in the valley and their Napa Carneros Vineyards produce some of the finest Chardonnay available. The Sangiovese, a rising star, is created entirely from grapes grown on Rich’s property and the Zinfandel comes from the Brown Vineyards in the Chiles Valley. Once owned by wine legend Hans Kornell, the winery originally secured its reputation with sparkling wines. Five sparkling wines are handcrafted today in the old building: Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, occasionally the Rouge and Reserve. All of these are made in the traditional French methode champenoise style.
Frank Family Vineyards wines are produced in small quantities and currently sold only at the winery and a handful of select retailers. A visit to the winery is not complete without a story-filled tour or at least a walk through the historic building where the thick stone walls, high-stacked barrels and rich bouquet of aging wines create the utmost in winery ambience. The winery provides separate tasting areas for sparkling wines and still wines. Just outside, to the south of the building, visitors are welcome to sit under the giant oak trees, relax at the wooden picnic tables and enjoy spectacular vineyard views.