Drink (and think) like a somm
Valley Road
Cabernet Franc Reserve
Virginia
Monticello
Cabernet Franc 100%
Black Cherry, Violets, Black Pepper, Cedar.
20 Months
New Oak
25%
Neutral Oak
75%
ABOUT
Valley Road 2023 Cab Franc Reserve
“Our 2023 Cabernet Franc Reserve is medium garnet in color, with notes of violets and black cherry, followed by a spicy, peppery palate and balanced tannin for a long, pleasing finish.”
-Valley Road Vineyards
PAIRINGS
IN A PINCH
Charcuterie, grilled meats.
DEEPER DIVE
This Cabernet Franc is very expressive, with a ton of ripe fruit notes right out of the bottle. It maintains a medium body with firm acidity to help open itself up to a wide range of pairing options.
The classic peppery notes of Cab Franc are present, but not overpowering, so it’s going to be best to focus on the ripe fruit notes when pairing here.
Stay within the medium range of the pairing spectrum, things like lean meats (especially grilled), light tomato-based sauces, and flavorful cheeses.
STANDOUT FEATURES: Ripe fruit, soft mouthfeel, firm structure.
PAIRING SCALE
STEER CLEAR
Anything too light like fish or salads will be overpowered by this wine.
CHEESE OPTIONS
Aged Cheddar
Aged Cheddar
Country: England
Animal: Cow
Type: hard
Texture: Grainy
Style: Rich, savory, mild.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Parmigiano Reggiano
Country: Italy
Animal: Cow
Type: Hard
Texture: Grainy
Style: Nutty, savory, sharp.
Chèvre
Chèvre
Country: France
Animal: Goat
Type: Soft
Texture: Creamy, crumbly
Style: Acidic, salty, tangy
RECIPE IDEAS
SERVICE
WHICH GLASSES?
All-purpose glasses would be best.
BORDEAUX
BURGUNDY
FLUTE
COUPE
ALL-PURPOSE
WHITE
DESSERT
SHOULD I DECANT THIS?
WHY “Couldn’t hurt”?
This wine definitely benefits from some air right out of the bottle, but that could be achieved with some generous swirling. But if you’re looking for a reason to break out the decanter, go ahead, just be aware of the time.
How long?
Generally you would want to decant a younger wine for longer to help it open up and be cautious of exposing older wines to oxygen for too long. There are always exceptions of course, but this is a pretty good rule to follow.
Minutes to decant this bottle:
Year opened
SERVING TEMP
The correct serving temperature is important to show a wine’s true potential, but don’t stress over getting the temp exactly right. Use the chart below to try to get in the right ballpark.
AGING
WHEN SHOULD I OPEN THIS?
If a wine has been released by the producer, it means it is ready to drink. Wines don’t necessarily get “better” with age, they just change. Typically, this change involves things like losing fresh fruit flavors in exchange for more savory notes.
The moment you should open the bottle depends on your preference, so it’s more important to understand the evolution and the life span of the bottle than it is to try to time its opening perfectly. (It’s far better to open a bottle too early than too late.)
This bottle should probably be opened between:
2026 – 2030
Development
NERD STUFF
TECHNICAL NOTES
pH: 3.65
TA: 5.44 grams/L
Alc: 13.7%
RS: 0%
Cases Produced: 111
VINEYARD NOTES
Warm primary fermentation, followed by 10-day post fermentation maceration in T-bins. Aged for 20 months in 25% new oak (Cadus and European Cellars) and 75% neutral oak.
PRODUCER
ABOUT US
Organized in 2015, Valley Road Vineyards was conceived by a group of friends who brought talents from successful careers in law, advertising, insurance, real estate development, and writing, among others. With our mutual love of Virginia and a shared desire to support the emerging Virginia wine industry, we thought a vineyard and tasting room operation in the heart of the Monticello American Viticulture Area (AVA) would be a good choice for our next chapter together.
We found the ideal site for both a new vineyard and a tasting room, with stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Located just 20 minutes west of Charlottesville, we had the added bonus of being at the head of the Rockfish Valley in Afton on Virginia’s famed craft beverage route Nelson 151.
We planted our first vines in the spring of 2016, bottled our first wines that same year, and opened SIP Tasting Room that summer. Since that time, we have added a number of outdoor seating areas, converted our Barn to a magnificent event space, created two outdoor wedding venues, and we have added two additional vineyards for a total of 17 acres under vine.
OUR VINEYARDS
AFTON SOUTH
Monticello AVA
Planted Spring 2016
The vineyard directly above the Valley Road campus is what attracted us to this property and is now recognized as the “gateway to Nelson 151.” At just under 1000’ elevation, southeast-facing, and with great air drainage, it offers optimal growing conditions for the four one-acre blocks of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot vines.
MOUNTAIN GLEN
Monticello AVA
Leased Winter 2017
Located 20 miles south of Valley Road near Lovingston. Senior Vineyard Consultant Grayson Poats and Vineyard Manager Walter Pugh have tended these seven acres of vines with care to yield fruit worthy of inclusion in Valley Road estate wines. Chardonnay, Chambourcin, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Petit Manseng, and Viognier.
GRAYSON VINEYARD
Monticello AVA
Planted Spring 2021
Our latest project is an additional six-acre vineyard at our Afton property along Nelson 151. In addition to two clones of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, we planted our first block of Albariño. The Valley Road Founders dedicated the vineyard as the Grayson Vineyard on August 21, 2021 to honor our first General Manager, Grayson Poats, one of Virginia’s preeminent vineyard specialists.
OUR WINEMAKER
Corry Craighill brings many years of winemaking experience from a variety of regions, including South Africa, France, Australia, New Zealand, California and Oregon in addition to her native Virginia. She has been the resident winemaker at Septenary Winery since 2020, and she started making wine for Valley Road in 2023.
Interested in joining our wine club?
The Valley Road Vineyards Wine Club is FREE to join.
Wine Club members receive four bottles, three times a year.
Select your Wine Preference:
All Red Wines
All White Wines
Mostly Red (3 bottles of Red/Rosé and 1 of White)
Mostly White (3 bottles of White and 1 of Red/Rosé)
50/50 (2 bottles of Red/Rosé and 2 bottles of White)
All Wine Boxes can be customized to include your favorite wines.
20% discount on all wine purchases.
10% discount on all merchandise and food purchases.
Complimentary tastings or glasses of wine for Wine Club members. (Members only; limit two complimentary servings between Wine Club months).
Invitations to exclusive members-only events.
Early access to newly-released wines and notice of wines approaching sold-out status.
Convenience of pick-up at winery or shipment* directly to you.
