2019 Dakota Shy Cabernet Franc Oakville Ranch Vineyard
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From a great site in Oakville, the deep purple-hued 2019 Cabernet Franc Oakville Ranch Vineyard has a uber-ripe, sexy nose of blueberries, candied violets, lead pencil, and spring flowers. With a monster of a mid-palate and a full-bodied rich, and expansive, seamless, opulent style, it's another incredible Cabernet Franc from this estate that readers will love. Despite its size, it stays incredibly graceful and perfectly balanced.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2019 Cabernet Franc Oakville Ranch Vineyard offers striking aromatics, and yet is far less forthcoming on the palate, where it feels a bit compacted from its bottling about six months prior. Oakville Ranch wines are usually heftier, but a bit more finesse is not a bad thing here. It will be super interesting to see how this ages. The Franc is an absolutely gorgeous wine, but patience is essential.
The 2019 Cabernet Franc Oakville Ranch Vineyard is a fabulous example of what this site offers. Dark cherry fruit, plum, chocolate, mocha, cloves and licorice fill out the layers as this creamy, resonant wine shows off its allure. The 2019 is deep and so expressive. The barrel sample I tasted (prior to racking and final blending) was 100% Cabernet Franc, but the finished wine will be 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, the same blend as the 2018. Tom Garrett told me he thinks the 75/25 ratio is ideal for Oakville Ranch, whereas he finds a higher percentage of Franc (sometimes significantly higher) works best for his Detert wines.