2017 Futo Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

The 2017 Futo is a gorgeous wine in the making. The relatively high proportion of Cabernet Franc (25%) gives it the striking aromatic nuance and freshness that are such signatures of this wine. This is the first vintage in which the Cabernet Franc-based co-ferments were aged in foudre. The 2017 is a very pretty and expressive wine, medium in weight, and although it is somewhat tightly coiled now it should open up beautifully with a bit of time.

The 2017 Futo is shaping up to be a real gem. Soaring aromatics and intense, red-toned fruit are two of the signatures. Floral top notes and hints of torrefaction lend brightness to this super-expressive, silky Oakville red. Although it is quite early, the 2017 Futo makes a strong case for itself as one of the more promising wines of the vintage. The Cabernet Franc feels particularly expressive today.

This wine comes from Futo's Oakville estate: six separate vineyard sites at 250 to 500 feet in elevation planted on decomposed sandstone and shale from an ancient uplifted seabed. The first vintage was 2004. A barrel sample, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Proprietary Red Estate leaps from the glass with gregarious black and red cherries, cassis and black raspberry scents plus nuances of unsmoked cigars, cedar, pencil lead and bay leaves with a waft of yeast extract. Medium-bodied with a rock-solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and loads of freshness, it has loads of red and black fruit layers and a long, mineral finish.