Current Vintage Overview

As Tony Biagi’s debut vintage, 2012 brought an evolution to the depth, complexity, and textural richness that Bob Foley achieved in our wines over the past 15 years. The growing year was ideal, similar to 2001, one of our favorite vintages. Warmer than 2011, a long, tempered growing season with many low to mid 80-degree days and cool evenings allowed for slow phenolic maturation and great color development with good acidity. The balanced chemistry delivered wines with a wide range of fruit flavors across the red to black fruit spectrum and a layering of flavors marked against the brightness of natural acidity. This freshness and vibrancy reside within a classic structure with refined tightly integrated tannins.  

Tasting Profile

In 2012 our Cabernet Franc plantings turned 22 years old. These older vines, planted in the gravel wash soils known as Cortina, are deeply rooted and produce a truly special interpretation of Cabernet Franc. Modern in style yet classically structured, this wine gives a nod to the Old World with noticeable minerality, tight linear structure, and exotic aromas of crushed rose petals, graphite, and roasted coffee. Its modern styling elicits a silky, textural richness that encompasses its structural core with layers of cranberry, black cherry, and black currant. Flinty gunpowder minerality and notes of Earl Gray tea usher a long finish with hints of tangy Ponzu sauce and Asian Five Spice. The tensional balance of richness against vibrancy is something we strive for in all our wines, and it is persistent here. This is the first vintage we blended with Cabernet Sauvignon (11%) to enhance the mid palate texture and Petit Verdot (6%) to lend richness and density of color.

Cellaring Potential

The precision of this vintage is what we find so striking, an exactitude that should translate to great cellar worthiness. Beautifully balanced, layered and nuanced, with tight structure, this is an exotic wine that will evolve well over the next 20 years. The 2012 BLCF may turn out to be one of the better vintage candidates for deep aging.

~ Jeff Smith, January 2016

Other Vintages

2015 Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc
2014 Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc
2013 Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc
2011 Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc
2010 Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc
2009 Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc
2008 Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc
2007 Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc
2006 Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc