Dracaena Cabernet Franc

I found this delightful bottle, made by Lori & Michael at Dracaena Wines, via Twitter. I was, and still am at times, a reluctant social media participant. I decided to open a Twitter account when I began this red wine blog, primarily for fun, to connect and learn from other wine lovers and discover new wines/wineries. I’m happy I did, because this 2013 Cabernet Franc (85% Cabernet Franc + 15% Petite Sirah) was so good. Lovely, lovely, lovely…

Cabernet Franc (“cab-err-nay fronk”) is known for being a medium-bodied red wine and popular blending grape found in Bordeaux blends. This particular bottle felt medium to full-bodied, with a silky texture and smooth tannins. No bitterness or kick of alcohol, just a rustic, smooth unique red. From the first sip, I was a fan. Earthy, black cherry hit me immediately (my husband, after a few sips, jokingly said they “must’ve added cherry flavor #45”). Of course, that was his way of giving it a nice compliment, as he was pleasantly surprised by this wine shipment that showed up at the door a couple of days ago.

Their website opens with Lori & Mike’s story, including how they came up with their unique name, Dracaena (druh-see-huh) and how they honored the memory of their beloved weimaraner, Draco (heartstring tugger). I’ve always enjoyed reading about wine and personal wine stories. As a fellow animal lover, it made me even happier to support & purchase their wine. (Bonus: I love this bottle!)

Per their website, they recommend decanting for at least one hour prior to enjoying. I did not do this. I was impatient and greedy. We paired it with pasta/red sauce/fresh garlic & onion while watching the new episode of Game of Thrones (I could’ve burned down the house, like a Mother of Dragon Breath, but I don’t care, I love garlic). This wine could be paired with anything though: fish, steak, pizza, cheese, by itself…  Yes, of course, we finished the bottle & it kept evolving, getting smoother & even more amazing.

This ’13 was their first, inaugural vintage, and it won awards!  Check out their accolades

Tigara (aka: Tiggy, aka: “The Weasel”) was only slightly fascinated by the cork.  It smelled nothing like a treat…