2023 Cabernet Franc – Dell Valley Vineyard

Dark berry fruit, tobacco spice, and bright wild herb character—balanced and fragrant with cassis and blackberry fruit on the medium-bodied palate. The finish is lengthy and expressive, framed by perfectly crisp, firm tannins with a velvety texture. A benchmark wine for the region. (97 points, review by Jonathan Cristaldi, Cristaldi & Co., October 2025)

100% Cabernet Franc

Fermented in large oak fermenter. Aged in 20% new French oak barrels and 80% neutral oak barrels for 16 months. 

ABV: 14.3% | pH: 3.86 | TA: 5.83 g/L | RS: 2.20 g/L 

Serve at 59°F | Decant

fajitas, game meat such as lamb with mint jelly, and tomato-based dishes.

Originally planted in 1987, the vines at Dell Valley Vineyard are thick and deeply rooted in the sloped sandy, caliche-type soils of West Texas. Sitting outside of any currently designated American Viticultural Area, or AVA, this vineyard is mightily tended by Phillipe, whose experience with growing grapevines began at an early age on teh French island of Corsica. 

Dell Valley Vineyard, Hudspeth County, Texas (no currently designated AVA). Age of Vines: 35 years. Soil Type: Sandy loam over caliche with ancient river rock. Elevation: 3,750 feet.