Buty Winery Merlot/Cabernet Franc 09

SF Chronicle Top 10 WA Red

This is a master-blend that quickly sheds its veil of oak and shows pure bushels of red berries, blueberry compote and Cab Franc-fragrant-spiciness. The full, layered finish is dynamic and fresh. - Marcus

64% Merlot and 36% Cabernet Franc from Conner Lee and Champoux Vineyards.

Previous Vintage Tasting Notes

2008 Vintage Tasting Notes

Buty Merlot/Cabernet Franc 08 - A classy and muscular Merlot meets the intellectual, fragrant, spicy Cabernet Franc. Each vintage, Buty crafts a winning blend of the two grapes. Recommended.

2007 Vintage Tasting Notes

The nose of Washington marionberries, vanilla and cedar is loaded from attack to finish. Merlot dominates, offering elegant and perfumed tones, with Cab Franc offering grip and fragrance. The Champoux Vineyard gives this wine its famous and characteristic sweet black fruit intensity. Youthful and accessible now, the intense fruit, balanced oak and tannin, will allow this wine to age ten years or more.

54% Merlot & 46% Cabernet Franc. Made from Champoux and Conner Lee Vineyard fruit.

Wine Spectator 92 points: "Lithe, open-textured and distinctive for its complex, rose petal tinged blackberry, espresso and licorice flavors, mingling on the classy, expressive finish. Drink now through 2016. 225 cases made." - HS

From the winery: The nose of Washington marrionberries, vanilla and cedar is loaded from attack to finish aided by a glycerin weight and supple texture. The merlot dominates the young palate with cab franc offering grip and fragrance.

54% Merlot & 46% Cabernet Franc Annually we offer a selected blend of cabernet franc and merlot.

Conner Lee Vineyard's fruit is 80% of this blend offering the elegant and perfumed tones. The merlot harvested from Conner Lee Vineyard is now mature at 15 years old. The cabernet franc harvested from both Champoux Vineyard and Conner Lee is 9 and 16 years old, respectively. Conner Lee's sandy soils, cold spring and fall nights retain natural fruit acids while the hot summer heat consistently ripens these fruits. Seventy miles south, Champoux Vineyard's growing season is longer in the Horse Heaven Hills offering sweet black fruit. Both vineyards consistent high qualities are from mature daily management in the vineyard.

The 2006 vintage comes across to me like the 2003s and perhaps the 1992s only more sophisticated and aromatic. Youthful and accessible now, the intense fruit, balanced oak and tannin, will allow this wine to age ten years or more.