2022 Hook & Ladder Cabernet Franc Los Amigos Ranch Chalk Hill 750 ml

Cabernet Franc is the secret weapon of California’s North Coast. Its name may not always grace the label, but it’s the star in iconic Napa Valley bottlings like Dalla Valle’s Maya and Luc Morlet’s Force Tranquille. 

The 2022 Hook & Ladder Cabernet Franc Los Amigos Ranch Chalk Hill isn’t a museum piece for which you’ll fork over several Benjamins, but a stone-cold stunner fit for everyday drinking. Which is exactly what we expect from Cecil De Loach. 

Cecil is one of Sonoma’s modern pioneers, the man who put the Russian River Valley AVA on the map. First known for his De Loach label, he’s now turned his focus to Hook & Ladder, the winery whose name pays homage to his career as a San Francisco firefighter. 

De Loach grows a blend of grapes grown at his Los Amigos Ranch in the prestigious Chalk Hill AVA—including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Sangiovese—and the 2022 Cab Franc is a pure varietal red showing off the oft-undervalued grape. Vibrant purple in the glass, the wine’s aromas are driven by fresh Bing cherry and cassis, plus a parade of purple flowers, lavender seed, and licorice spice. The palate is lush and red-fruited, with silky tannins that carry a long-lasting finish. 

The 148 vineyard acres that make up the Hook & Ladder estate are the parcels that Cecil De Loach kept for himself when he sold his eponymous winery in 2003—the vines he couldn’t give up when he “retired” following an illustrious 30-year career. How illustrious? He was the man who pioneered the use of Russian River Valley on labels and pushed the AVA to superstardom through terroir-driven excellence. 

Cecil’s simple goal with these vineyards was to make estate wines that his friends could afford to drink, specifically the pals he had from his days fighting fires in the City by the Bay. Mission accomplished. You’ll be shocked at how fast it goes.