2022 Fait Main Willow Creek District Cabernet Sauvignon

Fait Main means “handmade’ in French. And that is appropriate since Fait Main wines are made by Benoit Touquette, a French winemaker who has made his mark in Napa Valley as winemaker for Hartwell Estate Vineyards, Realm and Jack Quinn, among others. Touquette earned advanced degrees in enology and chemistry at the University of Bordeaux before working at estates in Bordeaux and South Africa. Early in his career he made wine for legendary French wine consultant Michel Rolland. He is one of Napa’s rising young stars. His Fait Main Cabernet Sauvignons are usually available only through a mailing list.

Paso Robles AVA is midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and it is considered one of the West Coast’s most exciting winemaking regions. With its hot, sometimes searingly dry and sunny weather, it is especially good country for growing warm climate grapes such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Because many Paso Robles wineries have been successful with blending these grapes into Rhone Valley-style wines, it is known as the Rhone zone of California. The AVA was created in 1983 and there are 32,000 vineyard acres. In late 2014 the AVA was divided into 11 smaller sub-appellations, so starting with 2015 vintages labeling will become more specific on Paso Robles wines, which will now also list sub-appellations. Located in San Luis Obispo County, Paso Robles, the town and its surrounding area, was traditionally a farming and ranching region. But from a few dozen wineries in the early 1990s to more than 200 today, the area is quickly becoming known for wine and risk-taking winemakers.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.