2021 I. Brand & Family Winery, Cabernet Franc, Bates Ranch Vineyard, Old Vines, Santa Cruz Mountains.
The 2021 Bates Ranch Cabernet Franc is opaque and a deep garnet in color, lightly perfumed and grippy in just the right way, especially appealing to old school California Cab and or Bordeaux fans that like a bit of tannic structure and less over ripe flavors, and this wine delivers everything extremely well. The medium/full palate has blackberry, tangy currant, dusty plum and black cherry fruits, long with a touch of cigar wrapper, all spice, cedar, wild sage, earthy loam, anise and subtle violets, as well as faint note of herbal essence. Winemaker Ian Brand has been making a fine Bordeaux inspired Cabernet Franc from this Bates Ranch Vineyard for many years and can’t recommend it highly enough, especially in exceptional vintages like this 2021, which gives this wine and extra dimension and Bordeaux like character. Like Ridge’s single varietal Cab Franc, this wine has some of the same pleasure and light loaminess that I get from classic Medoc Bordeaux wines, it is something that this terroir delivers. Located along the historic Redwood Retreat Road close to Gilroy, the Bates Ranch was settled near Mount Madonna in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, where the Bates Family has been growing top quality grapes for four generations now. The area is sees a generous climate for Bordeaux varietals, especially good for Cab Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, highlighted by warm days and cool nights, resulting in fabulous wines, notably Ian Brand’s outstanding more Bordeaux, rather than Loire style Cab Franc.
The Bates Ranch Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, was planted back in 1978 and set is on red Franciscan series, iron rich and gravelly volcanic soils that delivers a striking mineral elegance and warm ripeness. It is crazy that Bates Ranch doesn’t get the headlines it deserves, but Brand has certainly made a wine here that makes a case for greatness, especially in this vintage, it is something he relishes, turning little known or under appreciated sites into stars. Ian Brand says he didn’t really set out to make these wines, it was just that he discovered some great vineyards at the very edge of what could be called sensible farming and felt the desire and the need to bring them into the light, the rest they say is history, and over the last 10 or so years he has been responsible for resurrecting some of the most treasured sites in the central coast. As mentioned in prior reviews, like the above info, for his Cabernet wines, Brand, like this old vine site in the southeastern zone of the Santa Cruz Mountains, employed a traditional fermentation and maceration, with careful sorting and de-stemming of the grapes and an elevage in mostly used French barrels, though in recent years he’s also used some larger Austrian oak too, with just enough new wood to do the job. While being known for his Rhône inspired stuff, I am loving what the I. Brand & Family is doing with the Bordeaux varietals and it is a good time to check them out as the last couple of releases have been excellent. Keep an eye out for the Bates Cab Franc, his set of alternative whites, including his Chenin and Arinto, and Brand’s latest Grenache, signature offerings, which are just delicious as well.
($48 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive