I am a huge Cabernet Franc fan but I tend to be pretty hesitant when it comes to domestic bottles. They aren’t always so cheap and tend to to often be made in a style resembling a ripe, fruit-forward Cab Sav. Still whenever I hear about a new Cab Franc, my ears perk up a bit. I was really excited when I found out that Owen Roe was introducing the varietal into its second label lineup, Corvidae. It’s called “The Keeper” (a subtle reference to the resusable menstrual cup?) and I have to admit its pretty impressive.Right away from the nose I could tell I wasn’t dealing with a boring domestic fruit bomb. Like a higher end Chinon, The Keeper smells like jalapeno peppers, pencil shavings, and lettuce! A little bit of candy apple, Werther’s Original toffee, wheat, and rubbing alcohol balance out the nose as well. Unlike a lot of cheaper Cab Francs from the Loire Valley, this is a medium to full-bodied wine. The flavor profile is dominated by plum, green pepper, and milk chocolate with just a hint of sweet melon rounding out the rather short finish. I love that this wine has all the nice subtle vegetal notes of the variety while still remaining clean and free of brett. However, the Keeper is a little on the flabby side and lacks good acidity. It also has a pretty short finish and doesn’t have the most complex flavor profile. Still for a domestic Cab Franc at less than 20 bucks, you would be hard-pressed to find something better
