2015 Robert Keenan Winery Cabernet Franc Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 750 ml

The Winery That Made Cabernet Franc Into a Cult Obsession

When it comes to collectible Napa Valley Cabernet Franc, one estate practically wrote the book: Keenan Winery. Old vines, high elevation, and a stellar vintage delivered a new watermark for quality in 2015, with Keenan’s Spring Mountain Cabernet Franc nabbing its highest score ever from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate with 94+ points, and crushing the Napa Valley competition when it comes to price.

“Keenan has been on a real high-quality roll for a number of years, and they are among my favorite wines in Napa Valley, combining power and complexity,” raved Robert Parker. “They’ve certainly found their groove, so to speak, in this last 10-15 years. One particular strong point has been their Cabernet Franc.”

Showing finesse, structure, and ethereal aromatics, this wine is poised to make a believer out of almost anyone, as our countless customer reviews—with an average of over 4.5 points—can attest. It’s remarkable that we scored 50 cases from the low-crop vintage; more remarkable still that we’re selling it today at a fraction of the competition and 13% off the list price. An absolute must-try for fans of Napa Bordeaux varieties.

For years, Robert Parker has lavished praise on these powerful, perfumed, blue-and-black fruit thoroughbreds, calling the bottling “one of Napa Valley’s most successful Cabernet Francs” and “one of the finest Cabernet Francs in all of northern California.”

As top Cabernet Francs have turned into coveted cult favorites in Napa, high scores have translated into pricing that weeds out all but the most lavish spenders. Realm’s 2015 Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Franc won 98+ points from Wine Advocate—and retails for $775.00 a bottle. The 95-point 2015 Anderson Conn Valley Cabernet Franc Gustaf will set you back to the tune of $150. To land Keenan’s 94+-point iconic Cabernet Franc, off a single vineyard above the fog line, for less than three figures is something of a miracle. 

It’s generally agreed that something like divine inspiration led Michael Keenan to establish their Cabernet Franc blocks on Spring Mountain. As a site for this finicky grape, it has few equals anywhere on the coast. At 2,000 feet in elevation, it sits on the mountain’s Upper Bowl and is the winery’s highest vineyard. The fruit that comes off this plot is absolutely seamless, filled with dark clove spice and plum, never more so than in 2015 when grapes were hand-harvested under dry, sunny conditions. Stainless steel fermentation preserves the wine’s fine brightness, delicacy, and lift, while aging in French and American oak barrels for 20 months invests it with rich polish and baking spice, tempering the power of this mountain-red.

Parker’s highest score ever for this Cab Franc didn't surprise us, nor to our members who have consistently praised these wines, and signaled demand for more. If you put any stock in lush, aromatic reds that can age for up to 20 years and have the fine-boned balance of top Bordeaux, lock in your share today.