2015 Lo-Fi Cabernet Franc Coquelicot Vineyard

Region: Santa Ynez Valley < CA 
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: biodynamic farming; unsulfured; carbonic maceration, aged in older 600-liter neutral barrels, then bottled by gravity; unfined/unfiltered; 120 cases made
Winemaker: Mike Roth

If you like the body of Gamay but are looking for something with more autumnal flavors to bite into, you’ll love this Cab Franc! With its vibrant cranberry color, and a burst of bright red currant, olive, tobacco, and herbs, this wine is crunchy and brisk like fall. Mike makes two versions of this very same wine, one with no added sulfur, and one with a small amount. Trying them side-by-side was illuminating – the unsulfured one was way brighter and fresher, the flavors literally popped! Hell yes! The man behind this tasty wine is former Martian Ranch Vineyards winemaker Mike Roth, now a darling of the wine geek community with Lo-Fi, his new project with college friend Craig Winchester. Their focus is on freshness, delicacy, lower alcohol levels, and the honesty of vintage variation. He says, “Lo-Fi is less about what it is and more about what it is not. It is not over manipulated. It is not over extracted. It is not over ripe and it is not over-priced. Less is more.” Amen. Serve slightly chilled.