2001 Behrens Family Cuvée Lola Reserve

The brilliant 2001 Cuvee Lola (sadly, there are only 214 cases of this 75% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petite Sirah blend) is what Bordeaux’s famed Cheval Blanc might taste like if it were a dry vintage port. This is a totally dry wine, but the glycerin levels are off the charts (give credit to the 16.1% natural alcohol). Inky/purple, with a gorgeous floral, blueberry, graphite, and smoky scented perfume, this spectacular, unctuously textured 2001 is an extraordinary expression of Cabernet Franc. I didn’t ask Les Behrens or Bob Hitchcock where they got the Cabernet Franc, but my guess would be somewhere near heaven. This wine should drink well for 10-15 years, but only a fool would allow it to sit unconsumed that long. Amazing! I admire what Les Behrens, Bob Hitchcock, their wives, friends, and lunatic dog are doing at their winery and cellars on the top of Spring Mountain. They are obsessed fanatics who make wine with no compromises ... obviously my kind of people. Tel. 707-963-1774; Fax 707-963-8206

(75% cabernet franc, the rest cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and merlot) Medium ruby, quite dark for cab franc. Subdued black fruit aromas. Then strikingly sweet and creamy in the mouth, with urgent, spicy flavors of blackberry, minerals and violet. An uncanny combination of sucrosity and vinosity, intensity and finesse. Finishes with very fine tannins that coat the entire palate.