Township 7 honours Cabernet Franc day

Photo: Winemaker Mary McDermott

December 4 was national Cabernet Franc day.

I don’t know who declares such days of celebration. There are a number of days dedicated to various wine varietals, dreamed up perhaps by wineries with excess inventory. An Internet search also reveals that December 4 is also National Sock Day and National Dice Day.

If you are a Catholic, you may know that December 4 is the feast of Saint John Damascene, also known as Saint John of Damascus. He was born in Syria about 675, well before anybody was making Cabernet Franc wine. He was actually a tax official for a Muslim ruler, and may have shared the Islamic attitude toward alcoholic beverages. He later became a monk and may have been exposed to good sacramental wine.

Okay … I am poking fun at national wine days. But I do not poke fun at Cabernet Franc, a varietal of rising prominence among British Columbia wines. For several vintages now, Township 7 Vineyards & Winery has been getting Cabernet Franc grapes from a grower, Raju Vineyard near Osoyoos. Those grapes have been used both in red blends (the usual fate of Cabernet Franc) and as a single varietal wine. Cabernet Franc happens to be a parent of the more prestigious Cabernet Sauvignon grape. To my palate, Cabernet Franc often is more approachable with typical brambleberry aromas and flavours. Cabernet Sauvignon from the Okanagan is more cerebral, the wine that Saint John might have been sipping while writing about iconography and earning a sainthood.

For the rest of us, perhaps Cabernet Franc is our route to canonization, or at least contemplation. Here are notes on Township 7’s current releases. All of them, along with winemaker Mary McDermott, merit their own national days.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Reserve Pinot Gris 2021 ($31.97 for 175 cases). Fruit from the estate vineyard on the Naramata Bench were fermented with indigenous yeast in neutral French oak barrels. The winery achieved a rich texture with a warm ferment and with lees stirring. The wine begins with aromas of stone fruit, pear and citrus which is echoed on the palate. 91.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Syrah 2019 ($45.97 for 535 cases). This is 90% Syrah, 10% Viognier. The fruit is from the Fool’s Gold Vineyard at Oliver. Half of the Syrah grapes were fermented in a 5,000-litre French oak foudre. The other half were co-fermented with Viognier in stainless steel. The lots were combined after ferment and aged 24 months in French and American oak barrels. This is a spectacular and powerful Syrah, beginning with aromas plum, fig, licorice and spice. The palate is full-bodied, with flavours of fig, dark cherry, plum, chocolate and black pepper. 94.

Township 7 Benchmark Series Cabernet Franc 2019 ($43.97 for 670 cases). The grapes are from the Raju Vineyard in Osoyoos, on the U.S. border. The wine was aged 24 months in French (primarily) and American oak barrels, of which 20% were new. The wine begins with aromas of blackberry, spice and mocha. On the palate, there are flavours of red fruits (red currant, cherry, plum), with spice on the finish. 92.

Seven stars Vega 2020 ($36.97 for 216 six-bottle cases). This wine is made with Viognier grapes, which are rarely used for sparkling wine but are used to good effect here. The wine was en tirage only for 12 months so that the fruity aromatics remain on display. Flavours of lemon and grapefruit fill the palate. The wine has active mousse and refreshing, fruity finish. 92.

Seven stars Rigel 2020 ($36.97 for 339 six bottle cases). This is a traditional method sparkling wine made with Riesling grapes. There is a bready note mingled with a very subtle hint of petrol in the aroma, along with citrus. The lemony flavours and the bright acidity lead to a crisp, fresh finish. 91.

Seven stars Equinox 2018 ($57.97 for 350 six-bottle cases). Made with Pinot Noir, the sparkling rosé wine was en tirage for 30 months. It is beautiful in the glass with an appealing pink hue. There are aromas and flavours of raspberry, strawberry and apple. The creamy and active mousse adds to the festive appearance of the wine. 93.