Name: Mercer Wine Estates
Price range: $

This wine pours a striking blood-red crimson. The nose is intensely aromatic, offering cassis, blackberry, and violets, underscored by roasted red pepper, scorched earth, dark roast coffee, raspberry leaf, and rawhide. The palate delivers rich plum skin, cardamom, fig jam, choke cherry, cacao and cola. It boasts a full body with chalky tannins, endless layers, and impeccable balance, leading to a super long finish of vanilla pod, Luxardo cherry, and loamy earth.

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Vintage Notes

The 2022 Tenor Cabernet Franc is sourced from four distinct vineyard parcels within the Columbia Valley AVA. Key sites include Solaksen Vineyard on Royal Slope and three vineyards on Red Mountain: Quintessence, Red Mountain Vineyard, and Angela’s. Together, these sites offer a broad and expressive view of what Cabernet Franc can become in the Columbia Valley.

Our winemaking team worked closely with vineyard managers to restrict yields, resulting in small, concentrated berries. Cool fall nights helped preserve acidity while flavor continued to develop. Hand-harvesting occurred during the early morning hours in mid-October, marking one of the latest harvests on record.

At the winery, fruit was de-stemmed and berry-sorted. Prior to fermentation, nearly 30% of the grape volume was saignéed from tank to intensify the concentration across all varietals, including Cabernet Franc. Fermentations lasted 14–17 days, followed by an additional 2–3 weeks of extended maceration in tank to enhance texture and integration.

The wine was aged for 21 months in 100% new French oak from top cooperages (Taransaud, Gamba, Sylvain, and Quintessence). Eleven barrels were selected for the final blend, resulting in just 244 cases. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, the wine preserves its natural vibrancy, purity, and depth.

The final blend is 100% Cabernet Franc, composed of clones 1, 214, and 327.

Expert Reviews & Scores

Jeremy Young, International Wine Report
97 / 100
Notes of spiced mulberry, dried cranberry, and cedar unfurl across the mid-palate, revealing more nuance with each moment in the glass. Though opulent, the wine remains tightly wound, hinting at layers yet to come with time. It finishes long and structured, trailing with graphite, cracked spice, and an herbal flourish. Highly recommended.
Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate
94 / 100
"The 2022 Cabernet Franc was matured for 21 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby color and alluring wafts of spearmint, dark chocolate and violet that give way to red and black cherry and currant aromas. The palate balances concentrated, nuanced flavors with luxuriously powdery tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has a very long, elegant finish. 244 cases were made."
Michael Alberty, Wine Enthusiast
94 / 100
This is like taking a deep breath of a bowl of blueberries and black cherries. The wine's potent fruit aromas are flanked by notes of bittersweet dark chocolate and cedar. A one-two combination of bold acidity and grippy tannins backs black cherry, lemon zest, anise and wood spice flavors that coat the palate. CELLAR SELECTION
Sean Sullivan, Northwest Wine Report
94 / 100
This 100% varietal wine is a blend of fruit from Quintessence, Red Mountain, Angela’s, and Solaksen vineyards. It was aged 21 months in French oak (100% new). Aromas of char, dark roasted espresso bean, blackberry, dried herb, and black cherry lead to ripe, generous, pitch black fruit flavors. Plentiful barrel accents provide support. The coffee-filled finish sails. It’s all about richness and hedonism and brings both in abundance. CELLAR STOCKER

Trade Materials

Jeremy Young, International Wine Report

Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate

Michael Alberty, Wine Enthusiast

Sean Sullivan, Northwest Wine Report