Willows Lodge Cabernet Franc
⏳ Drinking Window
2018 - 2025
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, rosemary-infused pork tenderloin
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted as an exclusive collaboration between JM Cellars and the neighboring Willows Lodge—a sanctuary of Pacific Northwest luxury in Woodinville wine country—this Cabernet Franc celebrates local partnership and regional terroir. JM Cellars utilizes fruit from premier Washington state vineyards to fashion a wine that mirrors the lodge's rustic yet refined aesthetic. Cabernet Franc thrives in the warm days and cool nights of Washington's Columbia Basin, developing its signature profile of bright red fruit, savory dried herbs, and elegant, fine-grained tannins. This bottling represents a true sense of place, bridging Woodinville's hospitality heritage with artisanal winemaking.
🍾 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