Franc'ly My Dear, I Quite Fancy this Sip

Seeing as how my last post was a big 2004 BC red, I guess it's only fitting that I follow it up with another from one of BC's foremost wineries. A recent visit to Poplar Grove, while on this year's BC Wine Appreciation Society's Bus Tour, prompted me to take a look to see if we had any bottles that were crying out to be opened.

Luckily, this Cab Franc just happened to catch my ear.

1468.  2004 Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc (Okanagan Valley)

If memory serves, Poplar Grove was one of the first BC wineries to offer a 100% Cab Franc varietal wine. The fact that they still do shows quite the commitment to the grape since the winery focuses on only six wines. Even with that engagement with Cab Franc though, '04 production was limited to 403 cases.

In typical Poplar Grove fashion though, there's no shortage of fruit or body with this wine - even with it being an '04 and having a few years under its belt.

I'm a big fan of Okanagan wineries diversifying their reds away from Merlot - and Cab Franc is seen as a viable option. The grape's ability to handle BC's cooler climate is certainly welcome. And, when you add to that, the fact that the vines get an early start in the Spring which can help with a more consistent ripening of the fruit, it makes sense that more and more of it is being planted in the Okanagan. I still think, however, that, when it comes to the buying public, Cab Franc might be more easily sold as a component in blends than on its own as a varietal wine.

That marketability could well see some upswing if more and more wineries come out with wines as tasty as this one is.