Aged 18 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels, with a further 6 months of bottle aging, the 2020 Francis Coppola Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon boasts enticing and decadent aromas of blackberry, clove, and nutmeg. The palate brings together a perfectly balanced assortment of ripe dark fruit, cassis, and a hint of birch beer. Round tannins and a gentle sweetness usher in a rich, lengthy finish.

“Sei Querce” is Italian for “six oaks,” a name given to the vineyard in honor of the six major species of oak found in North America. The vineyard is in Geyserville, tucked into the Mayacamas mountain range, with elevations from 200ft to 1000ft above sea level. Two very different blocks were used to source this vintage. The first is from the lush, lower elevation floor of the vineyard, where the fruit is allowed to slowly ripen. The other block is located on a steep hillside with greater sun exposure and less water availability, creating firmer tannins and darker colored intensely concentrated fruit.

The warm spring in 2020 made for early bud break in most regions, followed by a cool March and April, and variable temperatures. Temperatures levelled off and stayed consistently warm throughout June and July and increasing again in August. During harvest, we ran micro-ferments to test for quality and found that the 2020 vintage wines are tasting exceptional.