Not to be outdone by Paul, I’ve decided to present my own favorite wine of the week, and that would be the Sunset Hills Cabernet Franc Reserve from the outstanding 2007 vintage. I last sampled this one back in March of 2010, and I can say that it has gotten even better over time. It presented a nice dense color in the glass and a smoky nose that included aromas of concentrated dark fruit and spice. Lush and complex, I noted flavors of dark plum, dark cherry and blackberry along with complements of tobacco and pepper. Aging in both French and American oak barrels for 18 months made for a lengthy finish. I nursed a glass for an entire evening and noticed that it softened considerably with some air time. If readers still have a bottle of this one on their wine racks, consider aging for a little longer; however, the enclosure is synthetic, and I’ve grown to distrust the ability of these to keep wines from spoiling or aging properly. Do enjoy with any braised meats, steaks or roasts; be sure to serve with roasted veggies, too.

We have not done a tasting of current releases at Sunset Hills since last fall, so we are certainly due for a visit. If you get there before we do, mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.