Just Jump

Cabernet Sauvignon gets all the press. Cabernet Franc gets the conversation.

It’s the parent grape of Cab Sauv — and in the right hands, the more interesting one. Lighter, more savory, more agile. The Loire built three appellations around it (Chinon, Bourgueil, Saumur-Champigny). California is finally catching up, and the Sierra Foothills is one of the places leading the catch-up.

Beechum Estate sits on rolling slopes of decomposed granite and volcanic loam. Hot foothill days. Cold mountain nights. Big swings between the two. The combination gives the wine its lift — fruit that’s bright instead of jammy, structure that frames instead of crushes.

Aged in a combination of American, French, and Hungarian oak. Three different woods doing three different jobs. None of them allowed to take over.

The name is the brief. For the moment you stop overthinking and go.

Dark cherry and graphite. Wild herbs that smell like they’ve been crushed between your fingers. A streak of pepper spice. The tannins frame the fruit instead of crushing it. There’s a savory undertow — bay leaf, cracked pepper, a hint of tobacco — that keeps pulling you back for another taste. Drinks bigger than it looks. The red for the night you stop second-guessing and just open the better bottle.

Sourced from Beechum Estate Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills AVA. The site sits on rolling slopes of decomposed granite and volcanic loam — the same soil family that’s quietly making the Sierra Foothills one of California’s most interesting red wine regions. Hot foothill days swing big to cold mountain nights, giving the wine its acid and lift.

Hand-harvested, small-lot fermented. Aged in a combination of American, French, and Hungarian oak — three different woods, each contributing different spice and structure, none allowed to overshadow the vineyard’s natural character.

Family-owned single vineyard. No sprays or pesticides. Organic practices (not certified), minimal intervention.

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