Blue Mountain Vineyard Carbonic Maceration Cabernet Franc
⏳ Drinking Window
Best enjoyed young and fresh, typically within 1–4 years of the vintage release to appreciate its vibrant fruit and carbonic character.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Charcuterie boards, roasted duck, grilled pork chops
✨ Technical Specifications
Kerloo Cellars' exploration of the Walla Walla Valley's cooler microclimates led them to the Blue Mountain Vineyard, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Here, the winery takes a bold, unconventional approach to Cabernet Franc by employing carbonic maceration—a technique traditionally associated with Beaujolais. By fermenting whole clusters in a sealed, carbon-dioxide-rich environment, they coax out exceptionally vibrant, high-toned red fruit and floral aromas while softening the grape's natural pyrazines and structural tannins. This technique highlights the cooler, high-elevation terroir of the Blue Mountain foothills, yielding a fresh, energetic, and highly aromatic expression of Washington Cabernet Franc that challenges traditional regional styles.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2007 by winemaker Ryan Crane, Kerloo Cellars takes its name from the echoing call of the sandhill crane, symbolizing Crane's calling to craft authentic, terroir-driven Washington State wines. After studying viticulture and enology in Walla Walla and honing his cellar craft at Forgeron Cellars and Va Piano Vineyards, Crane built Kerloo around meticulous fruit sourcing from esteemed, sustainably farmed vineyard sites spanning the Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, and Columbia Gorge. His cellaring philosophy prioritizes minimal intervention, foot-treading, native fermentations, neutral oak, and concrete maturation to highlight purity of site and varietal transparency. Kerloo built a devoted following for its cool-climate Rhone-style expressions and vibrant single-vineyard bottlings, including Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay, Boushey Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, and single-site Grenache, Syrah, and Grenache Rosé from benchmark crus like Upland and Painted Hills.
🍇 Grapes
Cabernet Franc