Hoffman Lane Estate Vineyard
As many of you know, when we started making our own wines in 1987, we named the tiny, 200 case operation after our daughter, Elyse. Not wanting to leave our son, Jake, out of loop, we eventually named our Rhone blend after him. It wasn't enough. Jake asked us, "When do I get my own label without her name on it?"
In 1998, we began a new label named after Jake: Jacob Franklin. These wines are a new departure for us. With Elyse wines, we've always adhered to the philosophy that wine is not for the elite, and that wine consumers deserve to obtain high quality, well-crafted, drinkable wines at reasonable prices.
We still believe that and we always will, but we've
also been fortunate enough to gain access to some extremely limited, incredible
Petite Sirah fruit from highly desirable vineyards. This fruit makes richly
focused, highly extracted, brawny, yet layered wines with fantastic aging
potential. But the fruit is hard to come by and it is very low in yield.
Consequently, the wines are very limited and they sell out quickly. We've
also included on the Jacob Franklin label Cabernet Sauvignon from our
own estate vineyard near Yountville, which we feel mirrors the complexity
of our Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah's. We make so little that these wines
are usually only available at the winery, so we're pleased to offer them
here on our website as well.
2005 Jacob Franklin Cabernet Sauvignon Hoffman Lane Vineyard Napa Valley
The 2005 Hoffman Lane Cabernet is deep, dark ruby in color and has a seductive nose of black cherry, smoke, cola, cedar, and a touch of black pepper. On the palate, it has a seamless entry, with flavors of blackberry, blueberry, well integrated oak and a rich earthiness punctuated by graphite and leather.
This superbly balanced and complex wine is lavishly textured with structured yet velvety tannins, and a finish that lingers on. Enjoy this wine with lamb, venison, beef and pungent cheeses. This wine is ripe and ready to drink right now, but it will age nicely for another 7 to 10 years.
$80 Bottle Buy now
2007 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard Napa Valley
The 2007 Hayne Petite Sirah has a dark purplish black color with an intense nose of ripe cherry, mocha, smoked bacon, lavender, cinnamon and an intriguing hint of earthy mushroom and dried herbs. Bright Bing cherry, raspberry and wild plum flavors lead to hints of dried orange peel, baking spice, pepper and chocolate. The wine has a lush mouthfeel with sleek balance of acidity, fruit and chewy tannins that lead to a long finish that seems to keep rolling over the palate.
Pair with lamb shank, wild game, veal, beef or strong cheeses.
$65 Bottle Buy now
2006 Jacob Franklin Charbono Napa Valley
Our 2006 Charbono is deep, almost black in color with distinctive aromas of black cherries, plums and black olives accented by nuances of leather, violets and lavender. On the palate, it is full-bodied with bright flavors of black raspberries, cocoa, currants, and a hint of tobacco and black pepper. This wine is texturally dense on the palate with good acid/tannin balance. This little known varietal is found almost exclusively in California, dating back to the 1880s. With only around 80 total acres planted for the entire state, it is not surprising that many have never heard of - let alone tasted - this bold beauty.
$35 Bottle Buy now
2006 Jacob Franklin GSM
GSM? What the …. is that?
Okay, you super cork dorks know. But for those of you who do not spend a lot of time worrying over which cliché to use to describe the latest Grüner Veltliner you had at Chez Cute, it stands for Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre. You hear more and more people in the trade use it to describe a wine’s makeup. So we decided, what the heck let’s just call it GSM. It comes from a fabled vineyard in Knight’s Valley which is just north of Napa Valley in that other county.
Here’s the deal, this wine has amazing fun factor with bright fruit right up front. It is a very versatile wine going with everything from soft cheeses to cassoulet.
$22 Bottle Buy now