Full Review

Monte De Oro

Monte De Oro
2018 Estate Grown, Cabernet Franc, Temecula Valley

Pair this wine with:
Beef Vegetables

Category: Cabernet Franc

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.4%
86 Points
Silver Medal
Highly Recommended
$45

Monte De Oro
2018 Estate Grown, Cabernet Franc, Temecula Valley

Pair this wine with:
Beef Vegetables

Category: Cabernet Franc

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.4%
Dark garnet color. Aromas and flavors of dried berries, carob powder, damp earth, and wax with a soft, crisp, dryish medium body and a smooth, quick finish conveying notes of cranberry, cedar, and garden path with barky, firm tannins and moderate oak flavor. A light and dusty Cabernet Franc for the table.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Juicy & Smooth, New World & Oaky
Aroma Aroma: dried berries, carob powder, damp earth, and wax
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with notes of cranberry, cedar, and garden path
Sweetness Sweetness: Dryish
Enjoy Enjoy: Now on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Pot Roast, Steak & Potatoes, Beef Stew
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A light and dusty Cabernet Franc for the table.

The Producer

Monte De Oro Winery

The Producer
35820 Rancho California Rd
Temecula, CA 92591
USA
1 951-491-6551

Their Portfolio

93 Monte De Oro 2016 Vigna Vicini Reserve Red Wine Blend, Temecula Valley 14.7% (USA) $90.00.
87 Monte De Oro 2018 Syrah, Temecula Valley 15.4% (USA) $46.00.
86 Monte De Oro 2018 Estate Grown, Cabernet Franc, Temecula Valley 14.4% (USA) $45.00.
89 Monte De Oro 2018 Estate Grown Simplexity Red Blend, Temecula Valley 14.3% (USA) $38.00.
87 Monte De Oro 2018 Estate Grown Monte De Oro Vineyard, Petite Sirah, Temecula Valley 13.9% (USA) $45.00.
93 Monte De Oro 2018 Estate Grown Vista Del Monte Vineyard Vigna Vicini Red Blend, Temecula Valley 14.6% (USA) $42.00.
87 Monte De Oro 2021 Bolle De Oro Brut Sparkling Wine, Temecula Valley 11.2% (USA) $25.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2021 Estate Grown, Sauvignon Blanc, Temecula Valley 13.2% (USA) $20.00.
91 Monte De Oro 2021 Nostimo, Temecula Valley 13.6% (USA) $24.00.
87 Monte De Oro 2021 Galway Vineyard, Viognier, Temecula Valley 14.7% (USA) $23.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2021 Canelli, White Muscat, Temecula Valley 11.7% (USA) $24.00.
90 Monte De Oro 2018 Cuvée De Oro Red Blend, Temecula Valley 14.8% (USA) $35.00.
85 Monte De Oro 2017 Reserve Estate Grown, Syrah, Temecula Valley 15.2% (USA) $70.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2017 Reserve Estate Grown, Cabernet Sauvignon, Temecula Valley 14.2% (USA) $90.00.
87 Monte De Oro 2017 Unique Elements Estate Grown Red Blend, Temecula Valley 15.1% (USA) $32.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2018 DePortola Vineyard, Merlot, Temecula Valley 14.6% (USA) $35.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2021 Synergy 65 Rosé, Temecula Valley 14.5% (USA) $21.00.
87 Monte De Oro 2021 Estate Grown, Chardonnay, Temecula Valley 14% (USA) $25.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Temecula Valley 14.1% (USA) $42.00.
91 Monte De Oro 2018 Deportola Vineyard, Merlot, Temecula Valley 14.6% (USA) $35.00.
86 Monte De Oro 2018 Simplexity, Red Meritage, Temecula Valley 14.3% (USA) $43.00.
93 Monte De Oro 2017 Vineyard Reserve, Malbec, Temecula Valley 13.4% (USA) $90.00.
93 Monte De Oro 2018 Synergy 65 Owners’ Red Blend , Temecula Valley 14.8% (USA) $44.00.
85 Monte De Oro 2018 Vineyard Estate Grown, Tempranillo, Temecula Valley 14.7% (USA) $44.00.
BR Monte De Oro 2017 Estate Grown Reserve, Syrah, Temecula Valley 15.2% (USA) $90.00. - Bronze Medal
89 Monte De Oro 2017 Vineyard Reserve, Petite Sirah, Temecula Valley 14.9% (USA) $90.00.
91 Monte De Oro 2017 Vigna Vicini Vista Del Monte Vineyard Reserve Red Blend, Temecula Valley 14.7% (USA) $90.00.
87 Monte De Oro 2019 Estate Grown, Syrah, Temecula Valley 15% (USA) $48.00.
91 Monte De Oro 2019 Congruity Red Blend, Temecula Valley 14.2% (USA) $40.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2019 Estate Grown Monte De Oro Vineyard, Tempranillo, Temecula Valley 12.9% (USA) $35.00.
87 Monte De Oro 2019 Synergy 65 Owners Blend Red, Temecula Valley 13.7% (USA) $44.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2018 Reserve, Syrah, Temecula Valley 15.6% (USA) $90.00.
BR Monte De Oro 2018 Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Temecula Valley 13.9% (USA) $90.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Monte De Oro 2023 Pinot Gris, Temecula Valley 13.8% (USA) $25.00.
86 Monte De Oro 2023 Riesling, Temecula Valley 12.4% (USA) $25.00.
86 Monte De Oro 2023 Nostimo White Blend, Temecula Valley 13.1% (USA) $25.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2023 Dulce De Verano Sweet Rosé, Temecula Valley 13.7% (USA) $25.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2023 Dulce De Verano Sweet Rosé, Temecula Valley 13.7% (USA) $25.00.
86 Monte De Oro 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Temecula Valley 13.8% (USA) $43.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2019 Estate Grown, Merlot, Temecula Valley 13.4% (USA) $39.00.
88 Monte De Oro 2019 Estate Grown, Zinfandel, Temecula Valley 13.8% (USA) $45.00.
87 Monte De Oro 2019 Monte De Oro Vineyard, Petite Sirah, Temecula Valley 15.1% (USA) $45.00.
87 Monte De Oro 2019 Simplexity Red Meritage, Temecula Valley 13.3% (USA) $43.00.

Cabernet Franc

Wine Glass Cabernet.jpg
Serve in a Cabernet Wine Glass
Cabernet Franc is a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is ideally suited to cooler climates, as it buds and ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. Additionally, it is less susceptible to poor weather during harvest. In the Medoc and Graves region of Bordeaux, where it typically constitutes about 15% of the final blend, it is seen as a measure of insurance against poor cabernet sauvignon or merlot weather. Cabernet franc used to be planted almost as widely as cabernet sauvignon in Bordeaux well into the 60s, but cabernet sauvignon had swung into such favor that 30 years later it had twice the acreage of cabernet franc.

Cabernet Franc tends to be lighter in color and tannins than cabernet sauvignon, with an earlier-maturing character. On Bordeaux's Right Bank, cabernet franc has a stronger foothold, and is best known as the dominant grape in the blend for the famed château, Cheval Blanc. It is the most widely planted red varietal in the Loire, where it yields lighter wines, like Chinon, with distinct herbal overtones. US cabernet francs are still largely in the experimental stage; there is a huge spectrum of interpretations, from heavy Napa wines to lighter styles from the East Coast.

Cabernet Franc is noted for its deep ruby red color and peppery, spicy character. It has moderate tannins and good acidity. Generally a Cabernet Franc should be consumed with some age - at least five years - while the finest versions drink well for more than twenty years.

Pair Cabernet Franc with hearty foods such as wild game, game birds and roasts.