2024 Brook & Bull Cellars - Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley (750ml)

Brook & Bull Cellars is a small Walla Walla, Washington winery led by winemaker and owner Ashley Trout, who has worked in the region's wine industry since 1999 and previously founded two earlier labels before launching Brook & Bull in 2016. Trout also runs the nonprofit Vital Wines alongside her own label, directing its proceeds toward healthcare access for vineyard and winery workers in the Walla Walla Valley. Known for varietally driven, nuanced wines with a Bordeaux-inspired sensibility, she has been recognized by Wine Enthusiast and Wine & Spirits as one of the industry's rising talents.

This 2024 Cabernet Franc is sourced from vineyard sites across the Columbia Valley appellation and produced in a limited run of just a few hundred cases. Trout crafts the wine in a classic, structured style rather than leaning into the riper, more fruit-forward approach common to many Washington reds, giving it a distinctly savory character. The wine is fermented and finished under Trout's hands-on, small-lot approach, with attention paid throughout to balancing acidity, tannin, and fruit.

The nose is aromatic and savory, offering ripe cherry, warm cumin, and cracked black pepper. On the palate, flavors turn toward tomato and grilled sausage, an unusual and intriguing profile for the variety, while velvety tannins and dusty cocoa carry through to a long, lively finish with bright, food-friendly acidity.