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Cristaldi Scores

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Vintage

Wine

Color

Rating

Vintage

Wine

Color

Rating

2025

Steven Kent Winery

Franc Nouveau!

This is the 2025 Cabernet Franc from Gilmetti Vineyard, bottled in 12-ounce beer bottles — a playful decision by winemaker Steven Kent, who simply pulled it from tank and bottled it at 13.5% alcohol. It is super young, youthful, unfined and unfiltered, and it smells and tastes exactly as Cabernet Franc should, with crisp tannins, clean acidity and super-juicy dark-berry fruit. It is absolutely delicious, and if you find yourself at a beer-only party, you could bring this along, pretend, and get away with it.

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Vintage

Wine

Type

Color

Rating

$

2023

Producer

Name

The grapes are sourced entirely from Lemmons Vineyard, planted to French Clone 331, also known as Clone 5 at UC Davis. This clone is naturally dark-fruited and delivers classic Cabernet Franc character, with broad shoulders and excellent phenolic structure. Dark berry fruit lifts out of the glass, accented by juniper bush spice, wild bright sage, and smoked paprika. The tannins are supple yet firm and elliptical, carrying the dark berry profile through the palate and building toward a fresh, inviting finish marked by unsweetened cocoa powder richness.

2023

Producer

Name

The 2023 Cabernet Franc is sourced from vineyards on both the east and west sides of Seneca Lake. Each lot was vinified separately in one-ton bins, with 20% saignée prior to fermentation, 10% whole cluster inclusion, and native yeast fermentations. Aged for 12 months in neutral French oak, this red was bottled unfined and unfiltered. True to the region’s style, a savory through line connects the crunchy red berry fruit from nose to finish. Cherry, pomegranate, and raspberry notes mingle with cedarwood spice, while soaring tannins frame the medium-bodied palate. The finish carries rose stem and earthy nuances. One of the cleanest and most structured Cabernet Francs I tasted from the vintage.

2023

Producer

Name

Damiani’s 2023 Cabernet Franc Reserve takes everything great about their standard Cabernet Franc and elevates it—more polish, more juiciness, and a silkier expression across the palate. Sourced from a mix of three estate sites and two grower vineyards on both the east and west sides of Seneca Lake, the fruit was fermented in 1-ton bins with 20% saignée and 15% whole cluster inclusion, all with native yeast. Aged 16 months in neutral French oak, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Bright red berry fruit and fine brown baking spices lead the aromatic charge, while cherry-skin tannins glide across the palate with a juicy, plump texture. The finish lingers with blood orange zest, rose oil, coriander seed, and finely etched cedar spice.

2023

Producer

Name

If you find yourself gathered around a fire pit after hours, this Firepit Society Cabernet Franc is the bolder, richer, riper expression of “firepit” wine from the Darcie Kent team that you’ll want in your glass. They also make Firepit Red, which is more medium-bodied and agile, but this version is built for those deeper, more contemplative conversations. It’s confident in its seductive dark berry fruit, heady cocoa powder notes, dried rose petal florals, and fuller-bodied presence, with fantastic wild herb character supported by supple tannins. Juicy, long, and lingering, this is a crushable, easily enjoyed wine—with or without a firepit. Aged seven months in French oak and 100% estate-grown in Lemmons Vineyard.

2023

Producer

Name

This 100% stainless steel–fermented and –aged Cabernet Franc comes from the Lemmons Vineyard and represents a fresh, innovative approach. “We wanted to show that you can make a Cabernet Franc that comes to market within a year,” says Amanda Kent, co-owner of the winery. “That’s important—to convince growers and producers to plant more and make more Cabernet Franc.” Winemaker Julian Halasz bottled the wine in April following harvest, employing micro-oxygenation and the use of oak staves to enhance texture and balance. The result is a remarkably polished wine with grippy tannins, pure dark berry fruit, blue fruit accents, floral notes, and a hint of bay laurel. Designed for early release and wide accessibility—including supermarket shelves—this is a compelling example of how Livermore producers can offer youthful, cash-flow-friendly Cabernet Franc without sacrificing quality, while still reserving their estate bottlings for long-term aging.

2023

Producer

Name

Aged for 19 months in 50% new French oak and entirely estate grown from the Stone Patch block in the Crane Ridge area—an upland site that sits along a fault line and is known for the quartz-rich boulders that push up through the soil. Just 178 cases were produced. The wine is elegant, with red berry fruit, dusty mineral tones, sage, juniper, rose stem, and a touch of fennel. The tannins are precise and refined. Medium-bodied with excellent fruit concentration, yet carried by real energy and pristine clarity of fruit.

2023

Producer

Name

100% destemmed with a 14-day maceration and full malolactic conversion, this Cabernet Franc was aged for seven months in concrete eggs. Easily one of the most refined and polished examples I’ve tasted from New York State, it’s gorgeously perfumed with ripe cherry, black raspberry, and floral top notes. Chalky mineral tones add dimension, while the full-bodied palate dazzles with tension, clarity, and length. Clean, expressive, and varietally true, it balances brightness and elegance in riveting fashion. The lees contact from the egg aging brings subtle texture without weight—this is a stunner.

2023

Producer

Name

Sourced from a property acquired in 2009, this Cabernet Franc was fermented with 25% whole clusters using native yeasts, with a 21-day maceration. Twenty percent of the lot underwent carbonic maceration in a separate tank before pressing and blending. Aged six months in stainless steel, the wine is spicy, grippy, and tightly wound, with a perfumed mid-palate of red cherry and rose petal. It finishes with savoury wild herb notes and impressive length.

2023

Producer

Name

This medium-bodied Cabernet Franc is a juicy, red-fruited wine driven by saline-laced acidity and supported by intense, grippy apple-skin tannins. There’s a dark muscularity here—deep tones layered with cured meat richness and a savory black olive edge, alongside dried rose petals and wild herbs. Sourced from Sawmill Creek Vineyard, a hillside site on the east side of Seneca Lake with slopes as steep as 20% and elevations ranging from 490 to 820 feet above sea level, and planted in the 1990s to Clone 214 (a Loire Valley selection). Just 250 cases were produced.

2023

Producer

Name

Fruit comes from the highly acclaimed Sachau Vineyard, a Wente property. Crafted in an Old World style with a light touch on oak, the wine was aged for 20 months in once-used French barrels; just 55 cases were produced. On the nose, it’s bright and lifted, with crunchy red fruit—cranberry and cherry—alongside sagebrush and smoky mineral notes. The palate is medium-bodied, with vibrant, lithe tannins that are polished and well-integrated, finishing with juicy blue fruit and elegant orange-peel aromatics. Just spectacular.

2023

Producer

Name

A barrel selection of the finest Cabernet Franc blocks on the Skipstone estate, this wine was aged 19 months in 100% new French oak. Exceptionally refined, it captures the pure essence of the variety with lifted aromatics of sagebrush, tobacco, bay leaf, blue slate, and a touch of paprika. Medium to full-bodied, it offers generous layers of dark, ripe black fruit supported by crisp, finely etched tannins. There’s remarkable harmony between the fruit’s richness and the wine’s savory, mineral-driven tension, resulting in length and precision. The structure is so compelling it nearly eclipses tasting descriptions, leaving only one lasting impression: sheer deliciousness. And in 10 to 20 years, this wine will evolve into something truly extraordinary—worthy of patience and a place in the cellar.

2023

Producer

Name

The 2023 screwcap Cabernet Franc from Cresta Blanca Vineyard is a dynamic, complex, and expressive wine—especially impressive at a $35 SRP. Aged in concrete and neutral puncheons, this 1,000-case bottling is medium- to full-bodied, striking a remarkable balance between seriousness and approachability. The tannins are superfine and perfectly integrated, framing a beautiful panoply of dried sage, spearmint, and tobacco leaf. Juicy red and black currant fruit anchors the core, with spectacular wet river stone minerality, subtle underbrush, and crushed cacao nib nuances rounding out the finish.

2023

Producer

Name

This wine is particularly compelling for its vibrant red fruit profile, layered with gorgeous underbrush and black tea–like tannins. Sourced primarily from Bates Ranch—west of Morgan Hill in the southeastern corner of the Livermore Valley AVA, with vines planted in 1970—and augmented by fruit from Zayante Vineyard, it’s a striking expression of site. The tannins soar, lifted by perfumed floral notes, while bright currant leaf drives the wine from nose to finish. A brooding, high-acid Cabernet Franc that will benefit from time in the cellar—but if you can’t wait, serve it with well-salted steak, burgers, or even richly flavored chicken or fish dishes.

2023

Producer

Name

Elements is a one-third blend of the Steven Kent “Steel”, “Rock”, and “Wood” aged Cabernet Franc wines. It’s an effortlessly delicious and expressive wine, capturing the best traits of all three: pure red and black fruit, integrated wild herb nuances, and a lovely thread of saline-mineral tension. Fine-grained tannins have a velveteen edge, gliding into a long finish marked by cocoa nib. Medium-bodied, with slightly less mid-palate depth than Wood, but with greater aromatic lift and flavor complexity. Very well put together—and a pleasure to drink.

2023

Producer

Name

The Ghielmetti Vineyard is located in the eastern foothills of the Livermore Valley, planted to the ENTAV clone UCD-4. This wine is elegant and finesse-driven, with lovely white pepper and redcurrant and cranberry fruit, along with gorgeous sagebrush and juniper-bush garrigue. Supple, mineral-laced tannins frame the palate, carrying cocoa-powder freshness and rich brown spices on the lengthy, juicy and acid-driven finish.

2023

Producer

Name

Rock is aged in concrete for 14–18 months, offering a strikingly different expression of Cabernet Franc. The red and black currant fruit is more coiled and restrained, layered with earthy nuances and a subtle sauvage character that feels wild yet refined. The texture is almost velvety, with a grounded, mineral presence that gives the wine a quiet power. Really fascinating—and a compelling contrast within this producer’s Cabernet Franc series.

Vintage

Wine

Type

Rating

$

2023

2023 Concannon Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 Damiani Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 Damiani Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc Reserve

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Darcie Kent Estate Winery Firepit Society Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 Darcie Kent Estate Winery Lemmons Vineyard Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

N/A

2023

2023 Darcie Kent Estate Winery Stone Patch Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Macari Vineyards Cabernet Franc “Lifeforce”

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 Macari Vineyards Meadowlark North Fork Cabernet Franc “Whole Cluster”

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 osmote Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 Pruett Farms Estate Winery Sachau Vineyard Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$$$

2023

2023 Skipstone Luka’s Blend Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 Steven Kent Winery Cab Franc

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Steven Kent Winery Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Steven Kent Winery Elements, Ghielmetti Vineyard Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Steven Kent Winery Ghielmetti Vineyard, Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$$$

2023

2023 Steven Kent Winery Rock, Ghielmetti Vineyard Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$$

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