Two decades ago, winemaking attorneys Greg Lipsker and Michael White helped set the standard in Northwest for standalone bottlings of Cabernet Franc. (The 2003 Cabernet Franc won best of show at the 2005 NorthWest Wine Summit.) It’s no coincidence that one of their early mentors was Walla Walla Vintners co-founder Myles Anderson, who taught a wine appreciation course at Gonzaga University that inspired Lipsker. These days, it is Tyler Walters who handles the day-to-day winemaking at this historic Spokane winery, and his work with Cab Franc from Sagemoor’s Bacchus and Weinbau vineyards continues to wow critics. Last fall, regional wine buyers awarded this bottling with a double gold medal and voted it as best of class at the Great Northwest Invitational in the Columbia Gorge Hotel. Prior to that, it earned a BOC at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Walters, Lipsker and White added to the structure with Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) from Bacchus and Petit Verdot (5%) from Dionysus, making it an entirely Sagemoor production. Its rapturous nose features dark purple fruit, lavender and graphite, and blue fruit jumps off the palate. Moderate tannins with a medium level of acidity make this wine refreshing and ready to drink, carrying a finish featuring black cherry, roasted red bell pepper and Tahitian vanilla.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 675 cases
Alcohol 14.9%
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