April 24–30, 2026
Finally, for the first time in weeks, we’re anticipating a weekend of spring-like weather! Are you prepared? Maybe get it started with a nice glass of benchmark Bagnol rosé! It’s serious enough for whatever’s on the menu, but that first glass is mighty good all on its own. Then check out our specials on two California favorites. Does a Burgundy glass full of Chardonnay sound good? Frank Family is there for you. And when the steaks come off the grill, reach for their sleek, flavorful Cab. Both at the right price.
This week, we’re including shipping on orders of 6 bottles or more from this offer. Happy Friday!
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2025 Domaine du Bagnol Cassis Rosé, Provence <<< CLICK TO BUY
Friday Follies $33.99
Cassis sits with next door Bandol on one side of Marseilles on the Mediterranean coast but its production is a mere fraction of their much-better known neighbor. And, what, say, Domaine Tempier, is to Bandol is what Domaine du Bagnol is to Cassis—the appellation’s benchmark for both quality and prestige. At Bagnol, only seven hectares of organically farmed vines sit facing north-northwest on a gentle clay-limestone slope a mere 200 meters from the beach.
The blend is typically Grenache (55%), Mourvèdre (31%) and Cinsault (14%). This is a quite serious, quite polished rosé with a core of mineral and fresh acidity buttressing lantana, white pepper, wild strawberry and wintergreen aromatics and a sneakily rich texture that really blossoms as the wine warms.
This is not the textbook version of an easygoing quaffing rosé; rather, it shows best with a table filled with spring or summer delicacies or even richer fare. In Cassis, it’s the preferred partner to a whole grilled local fish stuffed with herbs and I bet that would work on this side of the pond too! How about a warm goat cheese salad? Or a juicy herb-rubbed pork loin with roasted fennel?
It’s quite cellarable, too. Very highly recommended! ** Hammocks, **** Arugulas on PRIMA’s Scientific Rosé Scale.
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2024 Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay, Los Carneros <<< CLICK TO BUY
$45.00 Friday Follies Special $31.99
In spite of our love of dry rosé, crisp Northern European whites and minerally Sancerre, if we were to take a poll of what most of us are actually drinking in our backyards and dining rooms, I am willing to bet that good ol’ California Chardonnay is still pretty near the top of the list. Why not? A rich, flavorful California Chardonnay is not only delicious all on its own, it can be really food-friendly too. The best balanced and best made appeal to almost everyone! One of the best we’ve noted over the years has been the Frank Family’s. Remarkably true to its style of richness combined with good acidity and just the right amount of wood, it’s a fixture at almost every restaurant for a very good reason—everyone loves it!
The 2024 is another Los Carneros classic. Sourced from the winery’s Lewis Vineyard and several of the neighboring Beckstoffer vineyards in Napa/Carneros, along with longtime source Sangiacomo on the Sonoma side of the district, the classic Frank Family Chardonnay is fermented entirely in French oak (about a third new). While it doesn’t lack for wood influence, what’s there provides a nice spicy addendum rather than dominating the wine’s really lovely baked apple, white peach and ripe citrus fruit. We like the fresh hints of lemongrass, rising bread dough and woodsy spice, too. Not at all overdone, it’s well-nigh perfectly balanced to serve as an everyday quaff on its own or with all kinds of richer fare from the sea, farm or garden. Drink now, and be sure to get at least a case before spring is even over and this very special price is gone!
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2023 Frank Family Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon <<< CLICK TO BUY
$60.00 Friday Follies Special $44.99
The Frank Family wines sort of hide in plain sight amongst the pantheon of Napa Valley’s elite. While the fortunes of this up-valley estate’s Johnny-come-lately neighbors wax, wane and garner all the press and hoopla, Frank Family 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 per week of the Frank Family Cabernet Sauvignon just to keep it in stock!
We are particularly impressed with their 2023 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Crafted primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Petit Verdot and Merlot, sourced from estate vineyards along with select neighboring plots 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 soupçon 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 much for the privilege of having it in your cellar for immediate 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.
James Suckling, 92 points: An expressive, fruity and well-balanced wine that shows the rich berry aromas of the grape variety while keeping a slightly tangy, lightly tannic texture that’s refreshing. Raspberries, red cherries, red plums and hints of sage and orange peel. Made from vines with an average age of 80 years.
