Franciscan Oakville Estate
Franciscan Oakville Estate was established in 1972, but soon went bankrupt. In 1975, Raymond Duncan and Justin Meyer bought and renovated the property. The Peter Eckes Company purchased Franciscan three years later.
| Region: | Napa Valley |
|---|---|
| Sub Region: | Oakville |
| Wine: | View all wines |
Winemaker Larry Levin joined the winery in 1998. During his first year, Levin was nicknamed “let ‘em hang” because he let his grapes hang on the vine longer than his neighbors.
Franciscan’s vineyards are located between east of Highway 29 and west of the Napa River. The soils are a mix of gravel, clay-loam, and sandy-loam. The vines are cooled by morning and evening fog from the river, but generally experience sunny, warm days. The vineyards are planted with red Bordeaux varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.
Winemaker Larry Levin’s Magnificat is a blend of Cab, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The Cuvee Sauvage is made with 100% Chardonnay from the Carneros AVA. The Franciscan Merlot is made of 87% Merlot and 13% Cab. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is comprised of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Franciscan Cabs tend to have slightly herbaceous and minty notes.
runwiththewolf05 said:
Had a great time here in June of 2007. I would definately recommend a visit. I would also like to humbly insist you try the Cuvee Sauvage Chardonnay.....It's mind blowing!!!!
Posted 467 days ago.