Holidays With Peju Cabernet Franc
Fireside sipper, holiday gathering or just plain festive mood calls for a stellar wine from Peju Winery.
Peju embodies hospitality to all, an individualist, forward thinker akin to their founder, Tony Peju. A small family run boutique winery located in the heart of Rutherford, Napa Valley, California. He is known as the Father of Custom Crush and one of the first to embrace Direct to Consumer Wine Marketing. Best known for Bordeaux varietals, they are certified organic and practice sustainable farming. Their wines crafted by @ and he top notch team are a creative expression, not harnessed by restrictions, free spirit winemaking. Their tasting room is a converted garage at their vineyard estate that is open to all. Food and lively conversations are always part of the exceptionally crafted wine tastings.
Peju Cabernet Franc Reserve 2017
When we visited the winery in March we tasted a wide range of Peju wines, including MANY Cabernet Francs (which was lovely of Sara because she knew how much I adored the varietal, she pulled out a number of her private stash to share with a fellow Cabernet Franc lover). This vintage was one of my favorites. It has texture, depth, and oodles of layers. A blend of 88% Cabernet Franc and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 26 months in new French oak. It is deliciously drinkable now but can age another 5-8 years easily.
Warm Christmas red color invites you to take a sip. Deeply perfumed aromas of savory herbs of thyme and oregano, chocolate covered cherry, blackberry, raspberry, vanilla bean, toffee, cedar, sweet tobacco, dusty a touch of forest floor, balsamic and fig. Full bodied with soft plush tannins, vibrant acidity and a silky smooth palate. The flavors are very ample from tart ripe cherries and raspberries lead to vanilla bean, leather, cocoa, thyme with a whisper of savory caramel into a long finish of anise and pink peppercorns that lingers well in to the night. It’s as bright are you holiday spirit and lights on the Christmas tree. It’s the kind of wine that lifts our festive spirits to new heights.
To be honest, I drank this wine by the fire, reveled each and every sip, just enjoyed the moment.
Stuffed portobello mushroom with thyme and parmesan, roast pork with rosemary plums or lamb skewers.
