Lieu Dit Cabernet Franc begins with the special combination of warm, sunny days and cool, windy nights of the Santa Ynez Valley. Marrying the fruit of Los Olivos and Happy Canyon allows us to achieve that remarkable balance of ripeness and acidity that makes Cabernet Franc so compelling. This single grape variety provides elements of fruit, earth, herbs and flowers—and it’s our job to harvest when those four traits are in perfect harmony.
In the Winery
Gentle fermentation - sometimes with the whole grape cluster - is the starting point for our Cabernet Franc. Allowing the wine to build out its texture naturally through infusion, we get a Cabernet Franc that is first fruity and supple, then carried through to complex earthy notes, and finally smooth tannins on the finish. We press the wine to old barrels for aging and then bottle it in late spring.