2023 Michael Shaps - Cabernet Franc Virginia (750ml)

Michael Shaps is one of Virginia’s best-known winemakers. In 1990 he moved to France to study enology and viticulture at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune, then worked two vintages at Maison Chartron et Trébuchet in Puligny-Montrachet. In 1995 he came to Virginia as head winemaker at Jefferson Vineyards. In 2007 he founded his own winery south of Charlottesville, which now produces up to 30,000 cases a year. Shaps also owns Maison Shaps, a small winery in Meursault, so he makes wine in both Virginia and Burgundy.

Cabernet Franc is one of Shaps’ favorite grapes because it handles Virginia’s humid summers well and ripens fully on the region’s deep clay soils. The fruit comes mainly from top Monticello-area vineyards, led by Honah Lee at about 1,000 feet, where the grape ripens easily while keeping its classic herbal edge. In recent vintages the grapes were hand-harvested, partly fermented as whole berries, and fermented with the vineyard’s own native yeasts. The wine then ages in French oak, part of it new, and is bottled unfiltered.

This Virginia Cabernet Franc is medium-bodied and fresh, with ripe red cherry and raspberry, a savory herbal note, and a touch of spice from the oak. Bright acidity keeps it lively and very food-friendly. It is enjoyable now and should develop over the next three to five years. Pair it with beef stew, roast pork, or cave-aged cheeses.