Lieu Dit - '‘Sans Soufre’' - Cabernet Franc - Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara, CA - 2024

@lieuditwinery

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Sourced from own rooted vines planted at the Happy Canyon Vineyard in the east side of the Santa Ynez Valley. The wine is fermented using native yeast. Once dry, we rack the juice and press off the whole cluster lots. The wine is transferred to neutral oak barrels for the winter. Once malo is complete we transfer to tank prior to bottling. No S02 was added at anytime during the winemaking process.

Notes on the Producer

The Winery Lieu Dit [lyoo-dee] is a fancy French wine term that means “named place.” We love the idea that the vineyards that grow the best grapes gain enough of a reputation that everyone starts calling them by their name. In our little corner of sunny Santa Barbara, California, we know the best places where the grapes we love are responsibly grown. And that helps us make simple, delicious, honest wine. The Wines We focus on three French grape varieties that make classic, food-friendly wines. Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Cabernet Franc. From these grapes we make wines to enjoy everyday and on special occasions. The Winemaker Justin Willet is a father, husband, winemaker, and proud son of sunny Santa Barbara, California. It takes a native son to know the names of all the region’s hidden places where responsibly grown grapes can be made into consciously crafted wine.

Grapes & Style

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is an old Bordeaux and Loire red grape, and one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. In Bordeaux it’s often part of a blend, bringing lift, perfume, and freshness; in the Loire, especially Chinon, Bourgueil, Saumur-Champigny, and Anjou, it stands on its own as one of the great medium-bodied red wines of France.

In the vineyard, Cabernet Franc ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, which helps it succeed in cooler regions. It still needs enough warmth to avoid hard green flavors, but when farmed well it can keep freshness while developing real aromatic complexity. It often works beautifully on limestone, gravel, and sandy soils, with style shifting depending on site.

In the glass, Cabernet Franc usually sits in a lovely middle zone: red and black fruit, fresh herbs, violet, graphite, pepper, and sometimes a subtle leafy edge. It can be light and crunchy or deeper and more structured, but it rarely needs heaviness to make its point. We like it for the way it combines freshness, savory detail, and quiet confidence.