From: Yakima Valley, Washington, USA
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Tasting Notes: We have nothing to add to the following note from the winery. The 2020 Two Blondes Cab Franc starts off with notes of ripe blackberry, red plum, cedar, wet stone, forest floor, oregano, menthol. The wine is medium to full bodied with bright acid surrounding a solid core of black cherry and graphite. The tannins work to provide a structure to this wine without overpowering the more subtle notes on the long finish of tart red currant. This is another shining example of why Washington State is such a great region for growing and producing Cabernet Franc.
Pairing: The 2020 Andrew Will Two Blondes Vineyard Cabernet Franc will pair nicely with roasted meats (including beef, lamb, and venison), rich lentil stews, sausages, and dishes that highlight ingredients like bell peppers and spinach to play off the wine's herbal notes. The following recipe will do just that, bringing layers of pepper and richness that will harmonize well with the wine.
Pepper Steak
By Eric Kim
About. Chris Camarda established the Andrew Will Winery in 1989, naming it in honor of his nephew, Andrew, and son, Will. Andrew Will was launched out of a love for wine that Chris developed while working in the restaurant trade for almost 20 years. Andrew Will wines focus on Bordeaux Varietals from a variety of Columbia Valley-based vineyards, including Camarda's own estate, Two Blondes. Chris is also a part owner of the Champoux Vineyard, and sources from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard. They make about 4500 cases of wine per year.
Chris’ son, Will, grew up helping out around the winery. He graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in geology, and upon graduation spent a couple of years working as an environmental scientist in Seattle before feeling drawn back to Vashon and working with his father. He became the co-winemaker alongside his dad in around 2016, and has now taken the helm as the second-generation winemaker and manager.
In 2000, after a decade of purchasing fruit from top vineyards in Washington State, it was a natural progression for Chris to plant his own 30-acre vineyard in Zillah, WA, within the Yakima Valley AVA. This “Two Blondes” vineyard (where this wine comes from) is named for Chris Camarda’s late wife, Annie, who was a 6’2” blonde, and their partner in the vineyard, Bill Fleckenstein’s wife, Melody, who is also blonde. Clonal variety was particularly important to Chris Camarda as a winemaker, and having an estate vineyard gave him the flexibility to control the specific clones of each variety he planted there: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec.
Chris selected the 30 acre site due to its excellent soils and climate for growing grapes; it is not threatened by freezes but is just cool enough to ensure a modulated ripening process, even in warm years. The site has none of the draw backs he sees in some areas of the state alternating between devastating freezes and heat in excess of 100 degrees. The soils here are a complex mix of Harwood-Burke-Wiehl series. They are silty loams formed in a silty loess eolian mantle over a lime-silica-cemented durpan. The vines are trained on bi-lateral cordons and the rows are mostly spaced at 5X8 and run due north and south. The angle block is planted differently, however, 6X3 spacing and 32 degrees NE by SW. Each vine supports 8 positions with approximately 16-18 clusters per vine.
“I believe that an individual piece of property can form a signature – an identity – and it is that face that is the focus of my winemaking. We are trying to let the vineyards reveal themselves. I believe that if Washington is ever to be considered a great wine region we need to establish the characteristics of our geographical areas and the characteristics of each vineyard in those areas.” —Chris Camarda
The 2020 Vintage was a relatively even growing season which started slightly later than normal. The summer months were marginally cooler than past few vintages, which carried on into early fall. One of the markers for the vintage will be the consecutive cold snaps in October, which forced Will Camarda to make quick picking decisions to avoid frost damage. In the end he did not see any frost damage or issues with their fruit. The 2020 Andrew Will Two Blondes Vineyard Cabernet Franc spent 23 months aging in a combination of 20% New French Oak and 80% Neutral French Oak.
