The Cabernet Franc is...

...the opposite of the Holocaust, in a bottle.  This being the somewhat satirical description my friend Rick gave for the wine of the day -- 2005 Griffin Creek Cabernet Franc -- and of course representing his great disdain for the Holocaust.  Seriously, though, this is a great wine.  We touched on it briefly about a year ago with The Oregon Wine Blog's Holiday Dinner Pairing Guide as a complement to a smoked salmon dip appetizer, and I had the opportunity to crack a bottle open this weekend and enjoy.  We found out a few months ago that Griffin Creek / Willamette Valley Vineyards were selling out of their last bottles of this gem with no more on the horizon, so many of us picked up a few bottles and have been hanging on to them for a special occasion.

I was headed to Eastern Washington this weekend to see family and friends, and as I perused the wine rack deciding what to take I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had one more bottle of  the Cab Franc than I thought I had.  In the car it went.  The fact that both Rick and I love this wine combined with a great trip was special occasion enough.

As described, this wine is earthy and aromatic, the nose has aromas of rich dark fruits, lavender, anise, and mushroom.  It's a medium to full bodied wine with mouth-coating flavors of black cherry with hints of cocoa, molasses, and earth spice.  I'd imagine it would be amazing with a steak, although haven't done that yet.  We drank it this weekend a la carte and enjoyed every drop.

A wine that good with only 229 cases bottled, no wonder it's gone.  If you happen upon some in a wine shop somewhere, pick it up.  Should be somewhere in the $35 range.  Or even better, call me and I'll buy some!

PS - The staff, friends, and family of The Oregon Wine Blog in no way assume a great bottle is wine is anywhere near the magnitude, good or bad, of a tragedy such as the Holocaust.  We are strong supporters of civil rights and encourage equality for all.

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