Wine Country: America

Wine Subregion: California

Wine Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Regular Price $60.00,

PRIMA Insiders Pay $44.99,

with shipping included on 6 bottles or more

The Frank Family wines sort of hide in plain sight amongst the pantheon of Napa Valley’s elite wines. While the fortunes of this up-valley estate’s Johnny-come-lately neighbors wax, wane and garner all the press and hoopla, this small, still-family-owned vineyard and winery eschews trendiness and simply keeps on keeping on, consistently producing ultra-fine, sophisticated, classic wines that rival just about anyone else’s in the valley. Their following is particularly strong in the nation’s top restaurants because diners know they’re going to get stylish, authentic Napa Valley quality that everyone at the table will love at a great value. Back in PRIMA Ristorante’s heyday, we’d religiously order three cases of week of the Frank Family Chardonnay and Cabernet just to keep it in stock, and we still always keep them on our shelves in PRIMA Vini as customers browsing all the unfamiliar labels of California’s newest and best, get a sense of relief when they see something they know they’ll love and not have to spend three digits. We were particularly impressed with the Franks’ 2022 piss Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot grown mainly on the estate as well as from a few choice neighbors like Beckstoffer, it’s the classic Napa Valley Floor Cab of the Old School. Its immediate appeal lies in its impeccable balance- an early accessibility driven by nicely extracted fruit, the perfect soupcon of oak and the right amount of natural acidity and tannin. It’s rich, but not overdone like so many are these days, and that allows the secondary aromatics of tobacco, violet pastille, Cassis and spice to really shine through. Fresh, juicy and packed with luscious, seamless flavors, it’s more the perfect partner for your good cooking than a Napa Valley Cabernet event in itself. And you won’t have to pay too much for the privilege of having it in your cellar for current drinking or cellaring for the next decade or so. We love reacquainting ourselves with old friends like this, a wine that reminds us that its first duty is to be authentic, delicious and a value too.