Review: 2016 Frank Family Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Frank Family’s latest releases have arrived, both from the 2016 vintage and both from the Carneros region. A chardonnay and a pinot noir are both on tap. Thoughts follow.
2016 Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay Carneros – While buttery and creamy, this chardonnay nonetheless manages to showcase some acidity as well as brilliant fruit, including apple, banana, and lychee notes. A touch of brown sugar on the back end gives it a bit more sweetness than I’d like, though a thread of fresh sage finds itself woven through the experience, adding nuance. A- / $35
2016 Frank Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Carneros – A boldly bodied pinot, particularly for Carneros, the wine is heavy on meaty notes, its fruit drowned out in a rush of licorice, graphite, and crispy bacon. Very, very dry on the finish, with a certain green character to it. Not Frank Family’s best. B- / $35
2016 Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay Carneros
$35
