Oregon
Spangler Vineyards 2019 Sundown Cabernet Franc, Southern Oregon $32 – Great Northwest Wine
Patrick Spangler first won a Platinum for his Cabernet Franc program in 2006. This effort marks his sixth with Cab Franc, and its ranking as the top-scoring Cab Franc of the 2023 Platinum cements his reputation as one of the Pacific Northwest’s top talents with this sometimes-challenging variety. His traditional go-to-site has been Sundown Vineyard in the Medford suburbs, and this bottling is extraordinarily complex and balanced in its youth. There’s dark red fruit, violet, star anise, smoked nutmeg and moist cedar, along with composted earth and brown buttered shiitakes. The plush and bright finish is reminiscent of cranberry sauce. Qualifying awards: San Francisco Chronicle (gold), Cascadia International (gold), Savor NW (gold)
Rating: Double Platinum • 96 points
Production: 173 cases
Alcohol: 14.5%
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