2015 Red Wine Bel Canto

Ben Smith, who has long made effective use of Cabernet Franc in his blends, reported that the Franc “was great in 2016, and therefore a lot of it stayed in our high-end wines.” But except for his early-release Coda bottling and a limited 2016 old-vines Cabernet Franc from Tapteil vineyard, it was the ‘15s I focused on this summer. “The 2015 season was hotter than 2014,” noted Smith, “but we had a better handle on watering and canopy management in the vineyard in ’15.” Both years featured small berries, but yields were a bit higher in 2015 except in Tapteil vineyard, Smith added, noting that “2015 was not a compressed season; it was just an earlier year by 10 to 12 days.” He carried out cooler fermentations than usual in ’15, with fewer punchdowns.