Frank Family Vineyards

Founded in 1992 by Rich and Leslie Frank, Frank Family Vineyards is one of the jewels of Napa Valley. As the former President of Disney Studios, Rich Frank traveled extensively across the globe, trying the great wines of the world. Over time he knew that Napa Valley was the perfect setting to start a winery. Rich had an incredibly successful career and under his leadership, television and movie properties such as Cheers, Entertainment Tonight, Golden Girls, Ellen, Dead Poet’s Society, Pretty Woman, Aladdin, and The Lion King achieved worldwide acclaim. Rich also is the longest serving President of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Emmys). 

Leslie also had an incredibly successful career, spending more than 25 years covering news stories, and the last nine years of her TV news career reporting and anchoring at the number-one-rated station, KABC in Los Angeles. Prior to Los Angeles, Leslie was the main anchor at KCPQ, the FOX affiliate in Seattle, where she helped launch its 10 pm newscast, taking it to number one in its time slot and receiving an Emmy for Outstanding News Anchor. Rich and Leslie are fully invested in Frank Family Vineyards' as they manage everything from vineyard purchases, to sales and marketing. 

Superstar winemaker Todd Graff first stated with Frank Family in 2003. I loved his wines across the board as he has really earned a fantastic reputation for his Chardonnay wines over the years. I was totally blown away with their 2018 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay (WWB, 95) which is a glorious, seamless wine that is not only beautifully textured but has insanely good elegtnance and poise. Even better was the sinfully good 2017 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Patriarch’ Red Wine (WWB, 96) which shows great poise, richness and concentration as this powerful wine will cellar well for decades to come. Learn more about these outstanding wines at frankfamilyvineyards.com Here are the outstanding wines by Frank Family Vineyards.

2018 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Carneros’ Chardonnay- Over the past decade or so, Frank Family Vineyards has crafted a really good Chardonnay for the price. This edition scores with its pretty bouquet with tropical and orchard fruits with toasty oak. The palate is soft and seamless with layers of banana, vanilla creme brûlée and butterscotch with toasted Brioche tones and shades of Meyer lemon. The long finish lingers. Seriously good in its youth, this beautiful new Chardonnay will enjoy at least a decade of life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2030- 93

2018 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay- Not for the weary, the 2018 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay is a stunning new bottling that is flat out sensational to enjoy even at this stage in its development. Once on the nose the toasty tones artfully combine with ripe pineapple, kumquat zest and vanilla cream that all mingle together in the glass. The palate has a great veil of tension, with beautiful minerality and length. Layers of buttercream, bananas foster and Meyer lemon curd combine with the minerals and great texture of the wine. A total heavyhitter, the 2018 ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay by Frank Family Vineyards will be exceedingly long lived. Drink 2020-2035- 95

2018 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir- Light and delicate in color, this 2017 Pinot Noir leads with medium bodied red cherry cola flavors that mingle with minerals, orange rind and damp earth tones on the palate. With good length this great new bottling will cellar well for the next decade. Drink 2020-2030- 91

2018 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- Every bit outstanding, the 2018 ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir is a glorious new wine by Todd Graff. Once on the nose tones of red rose petal and red raspberry are woven together with smoke, cran-pomegrante and shades of dusty terroir. The palate is rich and viscous, with a great veil of tension. Ripe Yakima cherry flavors combine with baking spices, minerals and cran-orange flavors with light damp earthy tones. This finishes very long. Great to savor in its bright phase now, the 2018 ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir will be long-lived. Drink 2020-2033- 93

2018 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Reserve' Sangiovese- Rarely planted in the Napa Valley, the 2018 ‘Reserve’ is entirely sourced from the ‘Winston Hill Vineyard’ in the Rutherford AVA. This rendition is ripe and simply fabulous with fine grained tannins that line the core of ripe red raspberry, pomegranate seed, leather and menthol tones on the palate. The long, gratifying finish really impresses. Very full-bodied for Sangiovese, this has both the poise and weight to cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2020-2033- 93

2017 Frank Family Vineyards Zinfandel- Frank Family Vineyards have created a fantastic new Zinfandel is one that sees good richness and poise from this warm vintage in the Napa Valley. The palate has a great sense of mouthfeel and texture, with good poise and richness delivering pretty black plum, exotic spice and red cherry candy flavors. With good length this downright delicious new wine will cellar well for the next decade. Drink 2020-2030- 91

2017 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Reserve’ Zinfandel- The 2017 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Reserve’ Zinfandel is nothing short of a stunning bottling that is nearly impossible to resist in its youth. On the nose shades of dill and bright Bing cherry with baking spices and Hoisin sauce all take the lead. The palate has a seamless texture and remarkable sense of mouthfeel and tension. Well-balanced, slightly sweet red fruits dance with minerals, citrus rind and cigar box flavors, with remarkable poise and precision. The seamless texture really entices as the glorious length of the wine provides the resounding crescendo. Stunning in its youth, this beautiful Zinfandel is one for the cellar, providing drinking enjoyment for more than a decade to come. Drink 2020-2033- 94

2017 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from vineyards throughout the Napa Valley, the 2017 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is a terrific new effort from this storied estate and winemaker Todd Graff. Tobacco leaf and red bell pepper tones combine with the core of dark fruits on the nose. The palate is downright delicious as layers of black raspberry and mocha mingle with minerals and light herbal undertones no the palate. Showing good length and balance, this outstanding new Cabernet Sauvignon will cellar well for the next fifteen years. Drink 2020-2035- 92

2017 Frank Family Vineyards ‘RHF’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 ‘RHF’ Cabernet Sauvignon is named after owner and founder Richard Harvey Frank. Sourced from their estate ‘Benjamin Vineyard’ on the valley floor, the wine shows gorgeous violet tones with creme de cassis, anise, Turkish coffee and dark chocolate shavings on the palate. Elegant, this has really good weight and length, with a light dusting of loamy terroir. Full-bodied yet wonderfully balanced, this beautiful wine is just starting to show its potential at the three year mark and has decades of life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2035- 93

2017 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous, dense effort from Frank Family Vineyards. Once on the nose sandalwood tones combine with creme de cassis, Turkish coffee and shades of sweet pipe tobacco with loamy terroir. The palate is gorgeous, showing great balance and poise. Layers of menthol and mocha mingle with damp earth, graphite and cassis. With great elegance and length, this beautiful wine will cellar well for the next fifteen to twenty years. Drink 2020-2035- 93

2017 Winston Hill ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 Winston HIll ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a dense, massive wine that has a long life ahead of it. On the nose, expressions of tobacco leaf, coupled by mocha, tar and sweetened anise with creme de cassis all enter the fray. Viscous, with a great degree of tension, layers of dark fruits parade with light tannins and a core of chocolate cake and espresso bean flavors. Gorgeous and full of life in its youth, the 2017 Winston Hill ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet Sauvignon will cellar well for decades to come. Drink 2022-2040- 94

2017 Frank Family Vineyards ‘Patriarch’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Patriarch’ is an ode to Fly Frank’s 99th year of life. Sourced from the ‘Winston Hill Vineyard’ this was aged in 21 months in 75% new French oak barrels before bottling. Mocha, tar and shades of creme de cassis all mingle together on the nose. The palate has great viscosity and tension with layers of mocha, anise, creme de cassis and exotic spices. Dense, chewy and round, with firm tannins and good grip, the 2017 ‘Patriarch’ Cabernet Sauvignon is utterly sensational at this stage in its development and will provide drinking enjoyment for many decades. If enjoying in its youth, be sure to give this at least a three hour decant. Drink 2020-2045- 96