Franchere Cascadia 2022

Franchere Cascadia 2022

Cascadia is a cofermented, minimal intervention red blend inspired by the fresh, quaffable reds of the Touraine region of the Loire Valley. I never rely on an exact “recipe” for this wine; instead I rely on the peculiarities of vintage and whim to compose the blend, and in 2022 the Cascadia is 92% Pinot Noir, 4% Pinot Gris, 3% Syrah, and 1% Gamay.

The 2022 Cascadia’s perfume is flamboyant – you don’t have to put the glass right up to your nose to small it! – and strongly suggests baking spices, blackberries, salted charcuterie, and dark cherries. The palate is juicy and bright, so the fine tannins sail effortlessly across the palate along with flavors of black cherry juice, pine needles, and marjoram. It’s not deep, but it’s both intriguing and an effortless joy to drink, just what I look for in a quintessential bistro wine.

As always, the grapes are co-fermented (i.e. not fermented separately and blended later) at cool temperatures and aged 9 months in a mix of neutral oak barrels and stainless steel tank. No additions or subtractions here, other than 44 ppm SO2 before bottling.

12.8% alc • 5.2 g/L TA • 3.87 pH • 0 g/L RS (totally dry)

200 cases produced