Boëté – Exceptional Cabernet Franc from Carmel Valley

One thing I love is an excellent Cabernet Franc. The first place I saw it bottled as a single varietal was in Virginia, of all places. When I stumbled onto Boëté, I couldn’t have been happier. These are my favorite Cabernet Francs in all of Monterey County, done in a sophisticated Bordeaux style.

The highly regarded Saunders Vineyard is right next door to Parsonage in Carmel Valley and, at one time, the two wineries shared a tasting room in a quaint shopping center as you head into the valley.  They make their big red wines from estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from their 7 acres of grapes. 

Some background on Boëté quoted from their website here : “In the early 80’s John Saunders made wine at his Soledad Ranch in the Santa Lucia Highlands. At first making wine was a hobby and when his wines became popular with many of his friends in the restaurant industry, he decided to create a winery. In 1994, John and his wife Jana traded their 250-acre citrus orchard in Soledad California for 15 acres in Carmel Valley; land that had gone uncultivated due to lack of water. The first water well John drilled had gushed enough water to irrigate his vineyard forever. In early spring 1997, they planted their first vineyard on their sun-drenched hillside…

“The result is the Saunders Vineyard and his own label, Boete (Bwah-tay). The secret of the wine, Saunders says, is in the quality of the grapes, and old world wine making techniques that utilize French Oak barrels…Today, more than 6,000 grapevines grow on 7 acres, producing fruit that is widely regarded as some of California’s best.”

2013 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Franc, Estate Grown, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, 14% ABV, $50

WineEnthusiast rated the 2013 Reserve Cabernet Franc Reserve 91 points.  “This bottling from a winery whose owners are originally from Brittany shows peppery spice, tart red fruit, rose petal and lava rock scents on the nose. The flavors range widely from white pepper and dill to fresh-pressed strawberry and red plum, with a slight hint of caramel. Varietally pure and very fresh.” Matt Kettmann, July 2017

My Review: While Cabernet Franc is typically blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in Bordeaux blends, we enjoy this as a single varietal. This one is definitely a bigger Bordeaux-styled Cabernet Franc vs. the leaner Loire Valley Chinon style.  We found this wine to be just about perfect – jammy dark fruit on the nose, a rich mouthfeel of deliciousness on the palate, with an ever so slightly darker, just barely cooked fruit on the finish, ever so slightly tannic.      

2017 Boëté Reserve Cabernet Franc, Estate Grown, Saunders Vineyard, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.5% ABV, $50

WineEnthusiast rated the 2017 wine 91 points:  “Deep and dark in the glass, this bottling from a vineyard just a mile east of Carmel Valley village shows rich aromas of black currant yet with a spicy licorice kick. That licorice and dark-berry combination soars on the palate as well, proving both hearty yet still offering the grape’s inherent spice.” Matt Kettmann 7/1/2020

My Review: Bright red in color, we detected smoke, leather and sweetness on the nose.  Cherry and vanilla bean on the palate.  This is an amazing Cab Franc done in a big California style.  My favorite Monterey County Cabernet Franc.  This is their current release.

You can obtain their wines directly from the winery here.   As of this writing, they are not doing tastings at the winery.

© Decanting Monterey 2020