J. Bookwalter 2021 Suspense Cabernet Franc
VARIETALS: 75% Cabernet Franc | 25% Merlot
Viticulture Area: Columbia Valley A.V.A., Washington State

Butterflies in your stomach, sweat on your brow, trepidation pulsing through your body. The anxiety builds as you wonder, what happens next? It is a feeling we all know well and get addicted to in movies, novels, and media. That building sensation of mystery prompts you to know more nuances. The leading path to more questions and intrigue. It is Suspense. The 2020 Suspense is a dark red with opulent red-purple hues. It has aromas and flavors of concord skin, rose petals, ripe raspberry, sweet red pepper, and cherry. This wine is bursting with flavor! Smokey chipotle, sweet roasted pepper, Mayan cocoa, and savory herbs, also play a key role in this wine. Suspense finishes with ripe red fruit that is plush and lingering leaving you wanting another taste. This wine is beautiful on its own but complements food pairings that take this wine to the next level. Fresh acidity and well-structured tannins make this wine a great candidate for long-term aging and cellaring if you are wanting to keep yourself in Suspense... 2020 was a relatively warm year for Washington with a significantly smaller crop. Bud break began in mid-April, well-aligned with historical averages. October temperatures were above average before a freeze event on October 25th brought the growing season to a close in many locations. While the crop was smaller, the combination of smaller berries and extended hang time is traditionally a recipe for high-quality wines in Washington. After harvest, the Cabernet Franc and Merlot were fermented separately in open-top small lot bins. The wine was then aged on lees in a couple of specifically selected large format French oak barrels. These barrels accentuated savory characteristics in the wine while softening the texture and finish. Our barrel selection acted as separate ingredients that we composed into a fine dish at the blending table, crafting something more exceptional than the sum of its parts.

Cases : 1,317 6/Packs
Bottled: Spring 2022
Alcohol: 14.8%

DRINKING WINDOW & SERVING
This wine has a drinking window of 1-7+ years when cellared properly at 55F.

J. Bookwalter is one of the most recognized boutique wineries in the Pacific Northwest, relying on meticulous winemaking, exceptional vineyards and a decades-long commitment to excellence to produce some of the world’s finest wines. Our story is one of deep family roots in Washington State's exciting wine industry and a family heritage in viticulture and winemaking in the Columbia Basin. Today, J. Bookwalter is one of Washington’s most recognized wine brands with multiple awards and honors from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and the Wine Advocate as well as distribution and sales in 35 states and Canada.

The story of J. Bookwalter winery is one of family heritage, deep roots and a centuries-old commitment to the land. Ten generations of the Bookwalter family have been involved in American agriculture. But it was Jerry Bookwalter, generation nine and father of current company president John Bookwalter, who led the family into viticulture. After graduating from UC-Davis in 1963, Jerry spent 13 years farming in California’s San Joaquin Valley before moving his family in 1976 to the Tri-Cities in Washington State. Once there, he firmly stamped the Bookwalter name on the state’s nascent wine industry.  From 1976 through 1982, Jerry helped manage the plantings of three iconic vineyards – Sagemoor, Bacchus and Dionysus. He eventually became vineyard manager of the famed Conner Lee Vineyard which remains the largest source of grapes for J. Bookwalter wines.

And in 1982, he leveraged his vineyard connections and industry knowledge to start J. Bookwalter winery. Jerry’s son John quite literally grew up in the vineyards of Eastern Washington, but left in the late 1980s to pursue a successful 10-year sales and marketing career with E&J Gallo, Winterbrook Beverage Group and Coors Brewing Co. In 1997, he returned to Richland with a keen understanding of the winery’s heritage and a clear vision for its future.

Tasting Notes:
Bursting with flavor! Aromas and flavors of rose petals, ripe raspberry, sweet red pepper, and dark cherry with a silky texture. Clove and baking spices lead into a long, plush finish.

Food Suggestions:
with flavor! Pair this wine along with roasted turkey with cranberry sauce, spiced lentil stew, pork belly tacos, butter herbed mushrooms with red pepper flakes, and soft-ripen cheeses.

Remember We Taste The Bad Ones So you don’t have to!