86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot

Food pairings: Grilled steaks and other grilled meats, roasted vegetables and strong, aged cheeses.

Winemaking: Frank Family's signature, appellation-designated Cabernet is a seamless blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with a splash of Merlot for softness and suppleness and Petit Verdot for color and structure, made in a full-bodied style with underlying grace. The 2023 was harvested between October 9 and November 9, 2023 and aged 20 months in French oak barrels, one-third new and the rest once- and twice-filled, before bottling in May 2025. Senior Winemaker Todd Graff has crafted the wines since 2003.

Vineyards and terroir: The wine is sourced from two of the family's own Napa Valley vineyards. Benjamin Vineyard lies east of Conn Creek Road in the heart of the Rutherford AVA, on gravelly loam soils of ancient sediments laid down by Conn Creek and the Napa River. S&J Vineyard sits in Napa's Capell Valley, east of the Vaca range, on fertile, well-drained clay loam soils reminiscent of the Rutherford Bench. Frank Family's land and winery are Napa Green certified.

Family and history: The winery's home on Larkmead Lane in Calistoga is the historic Larkmead Winery, first built in 1884 and refinished with native sandstone in 1906; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the third-oldest winery built in Napa Valley. From 1958 Hanns Kornell made his famous sparkling wines there, and in 1992 Rich Frank acquired the property, opening it to the public on Fourth of July weekend in 1993. Rich and his wife Leslie lead the family winery today, still crafting traditional-method sparkling wines alongside acclaimed Napa Valley Cabernet and Chardonnay.

In the pictures: General Manager and Senior Winemaker Todd Graff in the barrel room (courtesy of Frank Family Vineyards); the historic stone Larkmead winery building in Calistoga (courtesy of Frank Family Vineyards); and proprietors Rich and Leslie Frank (courtesy of Frank Family Vineyards).