Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon California Red Wine

Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon comes from California, in a 750 ml bottle. Its shopper rating, 3 out of five from 2 shoppers, puts it near the bottom of the wines we track. No producer account is on record for this bottle yet, so the notes below describe the grape rather than the wine itself. The lowest observed price was $13.99 in our September 2026 checks.

A producer account is on record after all: Franciscan Estate says the winery was founded in 1972 by Justin Meyers and Raymond Duncan and takes its name from the Franciscan Friars who first brought grape growing to California; the winery released its first vintage in 1973. For the current 2022 release, Franciscan's own notes describe a growing season shaped by early winter rain that eased drought-stressed soil, a temperate summer, and a September heat spike that pushed the harvest earlier and reduced yields, conditions the producer says concentrated flavor and acidity. The winemaking notes describe a three-day cold soak before fermentation to draw out tannin, followed by four to six months of aging in American and French oak. The producer's own tasting note calls out "aromas of blackberry and toasted coconut" and "layers of black cherry and dark raspberries," the maker's words; the page does not list alcohol content, blend percentages, or a specific appellation beyond California.

Cabernet Sauvignon grows in many wine regions, and guides to the grape say it often makes sturdy reds. Those guides point to black currant, cherry and plum as common references, with noticeable tannin and possible spice from oak; those same guides note that ripeness, climate and winemaking can push a Cabernet toward a lean, herbal style at one end or a broad, fruit-led one at the other. The highest observed price was $32.99 in our September 2026 checks.

Our call: worth a try if a storied Napa-born name at a modest price appeals and the maker's frank account of the 2022 growing season reads like the transparency you want. Pass if the early crowd guides you; two ratings averaging three out of five are a start that leans low, and the producer publishes no blend or alcohol figures for this bottling.

The Grocery Store Wine Desk · written Sep 16, 2026 from our research file for this wine. Numbers reflect our latest checks.