Full ruby, not as purple as the merlot. Blackberry, violet minerals, mint and bitter chocolate on the nose. Great sappy, penetrating fruit; less fleshy than the merlot but dense and lively. Tannins really spread out and expand on the aftertaste. ($52.00 a dollop of merlot will probably be added).

Grown on the west-facing, Sonoma slopes of Pride's mountain vineyard, this cabernet franc has reached an essential ripeness. It's gone beyond any green elements to darker berry fruit - blueberry and black currant - taking on the glorious texture this variety can provide given the right opportunity. It buzzes with freshness, the ripe tannins slowly giving way to all the fruit in the center, but not yet giving up all the activity at the edges. Those Edges hum with energy, unbound by the wine's impressive weight, waiting to yield more distinctive expressions out of the clay-like tannin as the wine develops with age. An eloquent statement of cabernet franc in the New World, it would be fascinating to pour this at dinner with a franc-centric vintage of Pomerol's Vieux Chateau Certan when both are mature

Pride Mountain does an amazing job with Cabernet Franc. They somehow achieve superb flavor and aromatic intensity without the weight one would expect from a wine so rich and full. The terrific, extremely textured 1999 Cabernet Franc boasts a floral and black fruit-scented nose with an underlying mineral/earthiness. The wine is medium to full-bodied with an ethereal sense of lightness. The finish goes on and on. There is plenty of sweet tannin to go along with the copious fruit and extract. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2018.