C A R S O N W I N E S IMPORTED BY CARSON WINES
2 OVERVIEW IMPORTED BY CARSON WINES Franciscan Estate was founded in 1973 by a group of San Franciscans who decided to try these mavericks to call their exquisite ofgerings “table wine,” so they launched a national turning their passion for wine into a business. However, their dream was short-lived and competition for the category that resulted in the winning name: Meritage. Today, many of in 1975, they sold Franciscan to Justin Meyer and Ray Duncan, business and winemaking the fjnest wines from Napa Valley are blends of the Bordeaux varieties including Franciscan’s partners who also were launching Silver Oak. MAGNIFICAT. In 1978, the Peter Eckes Company of Germany purchased the Franciscan Estate vineyards Today, Franciscan Estate’s wines are made under the exacting eye of Janet Myers, who came and brand. Duncan and Meyer retained a parcel of the original property for Silver Oak, and to the winery in August 2003 as associate winemaker. Previously, Janet worked in Australia’s Meyer stayed on as winemaker and president of Franciscan. Margaret River region and at big Cabernet producers Beaulieu Vineyard, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Louis Martini. Janet was promoted to director of winemaking in August 2005, In 1985, Agustin Huneeus, a Chilean exile who had built Concha y Toro in his native country, joining a lineage of legendary Franciscan winemakers such as Justin Meyer, Greg Upton and took over the helm at Franciscan Estate. Huneeus refocused the winery on the superlative Agustin Huneeus. grapes grown in its own estate, initiating replantings and other vineyard improvements. Franciscan Estate quickly earned a reputation for innovation. In 1985, Huneeus hit the road with fellow vintners Robert Mondavi and Joseph Phelps, presenting California’s fjrst red wines made as a blend of the traditional Bordeaux varieties. California law only allowed OVERVIEW / ESTATE / PHILOSOPHY / WINEMAKER / RANGE / WINES / CONTACT
3 ESTATE IMPORTED BY CARSON WINES Located in the heart of the renowned Oakville AVA, Franciscan Estate is one of Napa Valley’s most venerable wineries. The fjrst winery to include Oakville fruit in any vintage, prior to esteemed neighbours Opus One, Swanson, Silver Oak, and Groth, Franciscan Estate also sources grapes from its other vineyards in Napa Valley located from Rutherford down through to Carneros. Oakville Vineyard A 240-acre parcel of prized land, the Oakville vineyard has a unique balance of terroir and climate. Comprising of 40 distinct blocks that have been looked after by the winery’s vineyard team for more than 30 years, the soil features loamy, gravely, well-draining soil which adds great structure to the wines produced. Located in the centre of the Napa Valley, the Bordeaux varietals enjoy the cooling marine infmuences while still receiving plenty of sun and heat. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon reigns supreme, true to Bordeaux, all Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc) are grown. The exquisitely balanced climate of Oakville’s mid-valley location holds the key to Cabernet’s success. Oakville is far enough south in Napa Valley to enjoy the cooling benefjts of the morning fog from San Pablo Bay, but far enough north to bask in warm afternoon sunshine. On a typical July day, Oakville will be 3 degrees cooler than St. Helena fjve miles to the north, and eight degrees cooler than Calistoga in the northernmost tip of the valley. OVERVIEW / ESTATE / PHILOSOPHY / WINEMAKER / RANGE / WINES / CONTACT
4 ESTATE IMPORTED BY CARSON WINES Napa Valley The majority of Franciscan’s fruit comes from the southern half of the Napa Valley benefjting from San Pablo Bay’s cooling marine infmuences. Whilst the Oakville Estate vineyard forms the heart of Franciscan’s Cabernet Sauvignon production, Franciscan Estate brings Merlot grapes from Yountville south to Napa and in particular the Oak Knoll appellation, which is known for its texture and bright fruit. For Chardonnay, Franciscan Estate uses grapes from their cooler vineyards near the town of Napa in the Carneros region bordering San Pablo Bay. There, near the bay’s cool shores, Franciscan Estate has a 17-acre estate vineyard where clay and gravel soils result in grapes with astounding structure and minerality. OVERVIEW / ESTATE / PHILOSOPHY / WINEMAKER / RANGE / WINES / CONTACT
5 PHILOSOPHY IMPORTED BY CARSON WINES Founding winemaker Justin Meyer wanted to understand the nuance of vineyard sites and how wine matured over time. He diligently laid out the estate vineyard into small blocks to capture the unique microclimates and soil changes. Each block was separately fermented and cellared. The wine was only blended once it had properly evolved. This small lot approach resulted in wines of unmistakable character that highlighted the nuances of every vineyard block and vintage. This intensely personal approach to winemaking has remained core to Franciscan’s culture and philosophy. It’s an ongoing pursuit toward perfection that always has the Franciscan Estate master winemaker close to the fruit, re-examining techniques, exploring new methods, and fjnding better ways to bring out the ultimate expression of the vineyard. Each winemaker is given the platform to build on the foundations of those who came before, adding their own unique fmavour to the Franciscan legacy. OVERVIEW / ESTATE / PHILOSOPHY / WINEMAKER / RANGE / WINES / CONTACT
6 WINEMAKER IMPORTED BY CARSON WINES JANET MYERS In what seems like another life, Janet gave up her pursuit of a doctorate in Biological Anthropology to move to London, where she worked in the restaurant industry. Living above a wine shop, she enjoyed sampling the wares of her downstairs neighbour and decided to learn about wine production. Upon appreciating that the wine industry combined science and agriculture, which is her family’s background, she enrolled at UC Davis. It is whilst she was studying that Janet completed her fjrst harvest at the Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley. After graduating from UC Davis with a Master’s in Enology, she then pursued a harvest abroad to enrich her experience. Wanting to connect to her roots in Italy, her mother’s ancestral home country, Janet turned to the Antinori winemaker in Italy, who ofgered her a harvest internship at the Santa Cristina Estate in Chianti. Before joining Franciscan Estate in August of 2003 as Associate Winemaker, Janet also enjoyed stints in Australia’s Margaret River region and at big Cabernet producers Beaulieu Vineyard, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Louis Martini Winery. Janet was promoted to Director of Winemaking of Franciscan Estate in August 2005. Having worked all over the world with several difgerent varieties, Janet’s primary focus has become Cabernet Sauvignon. “I have a passion for Cabernet - Cab is King”. OVERVIEW / ESTATE / PHILOSOPHY / WINEMAKER / RANGE / WINES / CONTACT
7 RANGE IMPORTED BY CARSON WINES Franciscan Estate Franciscan Estate Franciscan Estate Franciscan Estate Equilibrium White Blend Cabernet Sauvignon Magnifjcat Cabernet Sauvignon Chardonnay OVERVIEW / ESTATE / PHILOSOPHY / WINEMAKER / RANGE / WINES / CONTACT
8 WINES IMPORTED BY CARSON WINES Franciscan Estate Chardonnay 2014 Wine Information Producer : Franciscan Estate United States | Oakville, Napa Valley Winemaker : Janet Myers “With Chardonnay, Franciscan Estate looks for the sort of richness and Grape : 100% Chardonnay opulence that malolactic fermentation and sur lie aging in oak barrels bring. They help to deliver that delicious, creamy complexity for which Alcohol : 13.5% Franciscan Chardonnay is known. But Chardonnay also needs a foundation, Total Acidity : 5.9 g/L a structure, for all that richness and fruit. Minerality is essential. So we pH : 3.25 turn to cooler vineyards in southern Napa Valley, in particular from the Carneros District where the soil is dense clay. The result is grapes that ofger Closure : Cork impressive structure and mineral fm air.” Janet Myers , Chief Winemaker Bottle Size : 75cl Tasting Note Case Size : 12 x 75cl Pale yellow in colour, the Franciscan Estate Chardonnay ofgers aromas of bright pear and lemon are accented by subtle minerality and seashell notes, with accents of caramel apple and nutmeg adding richness. Lovely fmavours of ripe Fuji apple and Bosc pear provide a soft entry and vibrant mouthfeel. Lively fruit is supported by notes of vanilla and cream, and the generous body provides a lingering fjnish of apple, vanilla bean, and spice. Winemaker Vintage Notes “2014 was another year of low rainfall and warm temperatures in Napa Valley, which once again resulted in an early harvest with excellent fm avor intensity and beautiful ripeness in the fruit. The winter started ofg very dry with no rain in December, January, or February. In late March and early April, we received a good dose of rain that started the vines growing with ample water in the root zone. Throughout most of the growing season, conditions were textbook normal for fruit set and ripening, which gave us an abundance of high-quality grapes. Chardonnay harvest began August 26 and was completed September 20, comprising three weeks of pressing juice with a spectrum of delicious fm avors and aromas.” Janet Myers, Chief Winemaker OVERVIEW / ESTATE / PHILOSOPHY / WINEMAKER / RANGE / WINES / CONTACT
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