The Prior began in 2010, when we started working with Jim and Jeanne Frediani’s glorious Cabernet Franc planted in gravelly soils at the extreme end of the Simmons Canyon alluvial fan. Here the 35+ year-old vines are usually dry-farmed, and the fruit basks in the sun all day, leading to small, thick-skinned berries, with a lot of structure and aromatics. Jeanne left us in 2015, but her son Jim and his sisters carry on the good work on their beautiful vineyard to this day. Our handshake deal is one of our most cherished relationships, and the wine they help create is one of the most sought-after by our clients. Our goal with The Prior is to produce a Cabernet Franc with all of the structure, intensity, and richness of Cabernet Sauvignon, but one which retains the higher levels of aromatic complexity and finesse of Cab Franc.
