Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Franc
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, rosemary-infused roasted pork loin
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Hailing from one of Washington State's most legendary sites, the JM Cellars Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Franc is a profound expression of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Champoux Vineyard, originally planted in 1972 as Mercer Ranch, is revered for its wind-swept, silty loam soils and dramatic diurnal temperature shifts, which allow Cabernet Franc to develop intense aromatic complexity without losing its signature vibrant acidity. JM Cellars masterfully captures this terroir, crafting a wine that balances the grape's classic herbaceous notes of dried herbs and graphite with rich dark cherry and plum flavors. The old-vine heritage of Champoux lends a structured, velvety tannin profile and remarkable depth, making this a benchmark representation of Washington State's potential for world-class Cabernet Franc.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1998 by John and Peggy Bigelow, JM Cellars is a highly regarded family-owned winery headquartered on a lush, wooded hillside known as Bramble Bump in Woodinville, Washington. The winery is dedicated to crafting limited-production, hand-crafted wines, sourcing premium fruit from top-tier Washington state vineyards—such as Champoux and Stillwater Creek—alongside their own estate, Margaret's Vineyard, located in the Walla Walla Valley. Under sustainable and Salmon-Safe certified practices, JM Cellars produces a diverse and acclaimed portfolio that showcases expressive Bordeaux and Rh$ne-style blends, structured Cabernet Sauvignon, and unique varietals like Carmenere and Cabernet Franc.