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Fernweh

Waldbaden Cab Franc 2020

Price: $32.95
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Tasting notes

The 25% whole-cluster fermentation and neutral barrel aging keep this Cab Franc firmly in savory territory: poblano pepper, campfire smoke, and black currant rather than ripe fruit sweetness. At only 35 cases from a Demeter-certified biodynamic vineyard in one of Santa Barbara's smallest AVAs, it's a genuinely rare find.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Black CherryRoasted PepperTobaccoBlack Currant
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied red; biodynamic Cab Franc; smoky, peppery, and savory; 35 cases made
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Cabernet Franc (DeRose clone); Demeter-certified biodynamic; sandstone and shale soils, Alisos Canyon AVA, Santa Barbara County
  • Winemaking: Hand-harvested Sept 21, 2020; native yeast fermentation; open-top fermenter; 25% whole cluster; 15-day maceration; 7 months neutral barrel aging
  • Serving: Serve at 58-62F; light chill recommended; no extended decant needed
  • Pairing: Grilled lamb, smoked pork, carne asada, braised lentils, aged cheddar
  • Similar To: For fans of Loire Cab Franc (Chinon, Bourgueil) who want a California expression with savory, herbal character

Fernweh Wine Co is a Los Angeles-based project founded in 2020 by Berlin-native Sebastian Lowa. The label sources exclusively from biodynamic and organic farms in Santa Barbara County, and the Waldbaden Cabernet Franc comes from Martian Ranch Vineyard, a 20-acre Demeter-certified biodynamic estate on Alisos Canyon Road near Los Alamos. The Cabernet Franc planted there is the DeRose clone on 101-14 rootstock, with vineyards established in 2008.

Grapes were hand-harvested on September 21, 2020, fermented with native yeast in open-top fermenters with 25% whole cluster inclusion, and macerated for 15 days before pressing. The wine aged for 7 months in neutral barrels with no additions noted. Only 35 cases were produced.

On the nose: fire-grilled poblano pepper, black cherry, and a distinct campfire smokiness. The palate follows with black currant, bitter cocoa, and toasted tobacco on the finish. The whole-cluster component adds a savory, slightly stemmy lift that keeps the fruit from reading too heavy. Serve lightly chilled at around 58-62F.

The green pepper and campfire smoke notes make this a natural match for anything off the grill: lamb chops, carne asada, or smoked pork ribs. It also works well alongside braised lentils seasoned with bay leaf and cumin, or a sharp aged cheddar.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Cabernet Franc
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2020
Alcohol:, N/A
Country:, USA
Region:, Santa Barbara County
Appellation:, Alisos Canyon AVA
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


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If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


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2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

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If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Fernweh

Fernweh Wine Co was founded in 2020 by Sebastian Lowa, a Southern California-based winemaker originally from Berlin, Germany. The name 'Fernweh' is a German word meaning the longing for distant places, or far-sickness. The project is based in Los Angeles and works exclusively with biodynamic and organic farms in Santa Barbara County.

Fernweh sources the Waldbaden Cabernet Franc from Martian Ranch Vineyard, a 102-acre estate at 9110 Alisos Canyon Road near Los Alamos. Martian Ranch was established by Nan Helgeland in 2006, with 20 acres of vines planted in 2008 under the guidance of biodynamic consultant Philippe Armenier. The vineyard achieved Demeter Biodynamic certification in 2014. The Cabernet Franc planted there is the DeRose clone on 101-14 rootstock.

For the 2020 Waldbaden, grapes were hand-harvested on September 21, 2020, and fermented with native yeast in open-top fermenters with 25% whole cluster. After 15 days of maceration the wine was pressed and aged for 7 months in neutral barrels. Total production was 35 cases.

Wine region

Santa Barbara County, USA

Alisos Canyon became Santa Barbara County's seventh AVA on August 24, 2020, covering 5,774 acres along Alisos Canyon Road between Highway 101 and Foxen Canyon Road, roughly 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The AVA sits between the Santa Maria Valley to the north and the Santa Ynez Valley to the south, occupying a transitional climate zone referred to by local growers as the 'Goldilocks Rhone Zone.' Marine air travels inland via the San Antonio Creek drainage, producing significant diurnal temperature swings and keeping growing degree day accumulations moderate — warmer than Sta. Rita Hills but cooler than Ballard Canyon.

Soils in Alisos Canyon are primarily derived from weathered sandstone and shale, dominated by Paso Robles Formation (siliceous shale pebbles in a sandy-clay matrix) and Careaga Sandstone (fine-grained, well-drained). The high calcium content in the Paso Robles Formation soils increases red grape skin thickness, raising color and tannin potential. The sandy, low-clay Careaga soils allow many vineyards to be farmed on their own roots, free of phylloxera pressure. While Syrah, Grenache, and other Rhone varieties dominate plantings, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Tempranillo, Barbera, and Nebbiolo are also grown in the canyon.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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