2021 Tenor Cabernet Franc

Tenor is a prestige label owned by the Otis family of Washington, who also own Matthews winery in Woodinville, near Seattle. Matthews was founded in 1993 by Matthew Loso and in 2008 the Otis family, who already owned a financial share of the winery, bought out Loso. In 2012 the Otis family, headed by Cliff and Diane Otis, bought out the remaining owners to become sole proprietors. Matthews Cellars was one of the first wineries in Woodinville, which is now home to nearly 100 wineries. The Otis family includes several adult sons who help run the business and who have created Tenor, which makes a Bordeaux-style blend, Syrah, Chardonnay Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc and other wines.

Walla Walla Valley AVA likes to call itself the Napa Valley of Washington, and given the concentration of well-reviewed wineries in the appellation, the comparison is understandable. The Walla Walla appellation is comprised of 340,000 acres, of which 1,200 acres are vineyards. Walla Walla is located in the southeastern corner of Washington and it extends slightly into northeastern Oregon. It is named after the Walla Walla River Valley, and the city of Walla Walla is the commercial center of Washington’s wine industry. The city was founded in the 1840s by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post, but as early as the 1850s farmers were planting grapes for winemaking. Prohibition shuttered winemaking in the early 20th century, but a winemaking renaissance started in the 1970s when Leonetti Cellars, still one of the state’s most acclaimed wineries, started producing acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon. Walla Walla’s AVA status was awarded in 1984 and today there are more than 100 wineries. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most frequently planted grape, followed by Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese Chardonnay and Viognier.

This is a parent grape to Cabernet Sauvignon. It most likely originates from Basque country. It is an excellent blending grape, known for making the exquisite Cheval-Blanc. Franc is a little hardier on a vine than Sauvignon, but drinks smoothly at the table.