Early Mountain, 2019 Shenandoah Springs Cabernet Franc, Virginia, USA

No.11 | What's In My Glass

Since opening their doors in 2012, Early Mountain Vineyards has quickly established themselves as a leading wine producer in Virginia. Their winemaker, California-native and UC Davis grad Maya Hood White, came on board in the vineyard and cellar in 2014, becoming Assistant Winemaker in 2017, and as of 2022, Maya is Head Winemaker and Viticulturalist.

To say that Maya and Early Mountain are Cabernet Franc fanatics might actually be a bit of an understatement. The estate’s 8.6 acres of Cabernet Franc, plus some additional fruit sourced from growers, make its way into over a half dozen of Early Mountain’s wines, including their rosé and other red blends, plus Maya makes three, sometimes upwards of five, single-varietal Cabernet Francs depending on vintage conditions and fruit quality. Their single-varietal expressions include the Madison County Cabernet Franc sourced from the estate’s Early Mountain and Quaker Run Vineyards, the Quaker Run single-vineyard bottling, the Shenandoah Valley …