Frenchtown Farms, "Cecelia" 2021, North Yuba, Sierra Foothills, CA

This skin-contact blend of blanc de noirs Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc is has aromas of candied orange peel, flowers, and melon. On the palate it’s zesty and juicy, with minerality and just a little bit of grip. 

COUNTRY: United State of America (USA)

STATE: CA

APPELLATION (AVA): North Yuba

REGION: California

SUBREGION: Sierra Foothills

VINTAGE: 2021

GRAPES: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc

SOIL: Red granitic

PRACTICE: Organic, dry-farmed, sustainable, practicing biodynamic

VINIFICATION: Very gentle handling of the Cabernet Sauvignon to create a blanc de noir. Cab was pressed over foot crushed, whole-cluster Sauvignon Blanc for 7-8 days before pressing into barrel.

PRODUCTION: 100 cases produced

STYLE: Still

COLOR: Medium copper

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Dry

PRIMARY AROMAS: Candied orange peel, berries, floral, melon

FLAVOR: Honeycrisp apple, zesty acidity, quartz mineral, lightly grippy texture, long saline finish

FORMAT: 750 ml

ALCOHOL: 12.8%

SERVICE AND SUGGESTION: Pair with our recipe for Maryland Blue Crab with Sauce Grand-Père (recipe here).

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Frenchtown Farms
“In 2015, East coasters Aaron and Cara Mockrish moved to North Yuba, California with a mind to start a farm raising sheep and growing vegetables.  That all changed when they encountered a bottle of 2008 Clos Saron ‘Black Pearl.’  The wine captivated them and upon discovering that Clos Saron was just up the road they set out to make a connection.  This evolved into an apprenticeship of sorts that formed the foundation for what is now Frenchtown.  Although Frenchtown began as an ideological successor to the Clos Saron legacy, Cara and Aaron have been through a rigorous process of exploration to find their own voice.  Eye opening conversations with luminaries like Batiste Overnoy, Pescaline Lepeltier and Nicolas Gordo of Domaine Simon Bize have helped them develop new ideas about how to temper and communicate North Yuba’s monumental terroir to produce more youthful wines. “ (olmsteadwine.com)

ABOUT THE VINEYARDS: 
“North Yuba is a unique AVA nestled in the northern part of the Sierra Foothills. We farm over 30 acres of own-rooted vines, ranging in age from 40 - 50 years. Unlike the majority of the soils throughout the rest of the foothills, our soil and geology are not primarily comprised of decomposed granite. Instead we are growing on the results of isolated volcanic activity and have soils with a higher mineral content, including gold and quartz, and a predominance of rhyolite rather than granite.” (frenchtownfarms.com)

ABOUT THE LABEL: “Cecelia is Cara’s middle name and the label is a reference to the curious relationship between the bees and a pesky nettle. It’s frustrating and uncomfortable for the farmers but the nettle is the main source of food for the bees during the dryer months.” (olmsteadwine.com)

ABOUT CECELIA: Fun Fact: Although ‘Cecelia’ is one of the most popular Frenchtown wines, it is also the most challenging wine for them to make. As the timing is quite specific in order to capture the right balance of ripeness between Sauvignon Blanc and whatever red variety is cooperating that harvest, Aaron says“there’s basically a three day window to make this wine.” Red varieties in North Yuba’s intense terroir require extremely delicate handling from picking through pressing in order to keep the pigment and extraction light. Even though most of the grapes are pressed directly, because of the co-fermentation with Sauvignon Blanc, ‘Cecelia’ needs to be pressed twice, making it extremely labor intensive.