Cabernet Franc
⏳ Drinking Window
2018 - 2025
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, herb-crusted lamb chops, grilled portobello mushrooms
✨ Technical Specifications
JM Cellars' Cabernet Franc is a beautiful expression of Washington State's potential for this classic Bordeaux variety. Sourced primarily from Margaret's Vineyard—their estate site in the Walla Walla Valley named in honor of co-founder Peggy Bigelow's mother—this wine benefits from the unique terroir of the region. The vineyard's wind-blown loess soils and warm days paired with cool nights allow the grape to achieve optimal ripeness while retaining its characteristic bright acidity. Winemaker John Bigelow coaxes out the grape's complex personality, balancing its signature savory, herbaceous notes of dried herbs and tobacco with rich, dark fruit flavors. Aged carefully in French oak barrels, this Cabernet Franc showcases a structured yet velvety profile, reflecting the family's dedication to sustainable, Salmon-Safe certified viticulture and artisanal craftsmanship.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1998 by John and Peggy Bigelow, JM Cellars is a benchmark family-owned artisanal winery centered at Bramble Bump, a wooded sanctuary in Woodinville, Washington. Initially mentored by prominent Washington vintners Mike Januik and Charlie Hoppes, the Bigelows evolved from basement garagistes into leading producers of small-lot, site-expressive Pacific Northwest wines. While production operations are based in Woodinville and Maltby, estate fruit originates from Margaret's Vineyard—a certified sustainable and Salmon-Safe site perched within Walla Walla's acclaimed SeVein development. Complementing their estate plantings, JM Cellars selectively sources from venerated Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, and Red Mountain vineyards, including Boushey, Stillwater Creek, and Quintessence. Winemaking under John and his son Tommy emphasizes precision and texture, utilizing small-batch fermentations in stainless steel, concrete eggs, and French oak barrels. Benchmark cuvées include their signature Tre Fanciulli red blend, Margaret's Vineyard Bordeaux varietals, and vineyard-designated Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, consistently distinguished by vibrant fruit purity and structured finesse.
🍇 Grapes
Cabernet Franc