Jacob Franklin Judge Family Vineyard Grenache Bennett Valley 2019

Jake Coursen, the winemaker of Jacob Franklin Cellars, certainly has his work cut out for him.  It is no small order to follow in the footsteps of a legendary winemaking father, let alone take over the family business after 20 years of success.  However, Jake is no stranger to the wine world, and having grown up among the vines, his passion for winemaking is solid, and his ambitions are lofty.  So when Ray Coursen, Jake’s Dad, sold Elyse Winery in 2018, he kept the Jacob Franklin label to pass it to the next generation.  With Jake officially holding the reins, Jacob Franklin is diving into a new chapter, where innovation and curiosity inspire the stylistic choices, and the original mission of crafting single-vineyard, terroir-driven wines remains their North Star.

The original iteration of Jacob Franklin came to life after Jake, who, as a child, made it quite evident to his dad Ray that he felt an imbalance among the siblings.  See, his sister Elyse had an entire winery named after her, and Jake, too, craved seeing his name on a wine label.  So Ray acquiesced and created Jacob Franklin, under the Elyse umbrella, as an ode to his son, and with the inspiration to find unique vineyards where his winemaking could fully express the characteristics of the land.  And while Ray developed Elyse winery, Jake spent his childhood as many Napa kids do, playing in the vines and deeply rooting his love of the natural world.  One trip to Napa can have visitors daydreaming of a life in the valley, so it’s not hard to see why Jake pursued winemaking as his career.

After graduating from Chico State University with a degree in Agricultural Business, Jake returned home and immediately got to work.  Not wanting to ride on his dad’s coattails, he worked harvest internships and cellar internships at Hunnicutt Winery and Cakebread Cellars.  During these pivotal years, Jake created and cemented life-long relationships with mentors and winemaking giants like Tom Garrett, Julien Fayard, and Kirk Venge, who assisted along the way with his on-the-ground education in all things vine.  In 2015, he officially joined the Elyse team as Cellar Master, where he worked up until the sale in 2018.  Then, with the amicable split of the brands, Jake stepped into his current position as head winemaker of Jacob Franklin wines.  Of course, Ray stays close to lend advice and mentorship, but Jake calls the shots.   One of those first decisions was jumping on an open 1-ton lot of Grenache from the Judge Family Vineyard.

With 10 acres sprawling the western side of Bennett Valley at 650 ft elevation, the Judge Family Vineyard has two great things going for it.  First, those foothills at the southeastern tip of Santa Rosa comprise many soil types, including volcanic, loam, sandstone, gravel, and tuff beds.  This composition makes the soil moderately nutritious for the vines and well-draining.  Second, a gentle Pacific breeze comes in through the dipping gaps in the range, but the elevation height provides a protective boundary from the harsh winds.  Jake’s curiosity sparked his interest in the vineyard when he heard of the available Grenache, and once he visited, the terroir sealed the deal.  Judge Family was the first vineyard from which Jake made a Jacob Franklin wine.

The grapes enjoyed a long and slow ripening thanks to the vineyard’s micro-climate and were picked in mid-October 2019.  To extract rich color, tannin, and depth of flavor, Jake opted for a colder, longer fermentation over 15 days with daily punch-downs that he executed by hand.  Aging took place over ten months in neutral oak barrels before bottling.  The result is a delicately floral and fruit-forward nose with hints of fresh berries, slate, and the first vegetal shoots of spring. On the palate, the acidity is bright, and the body is light, with a lingering finish that complements the wild strawberry and fresh rose notes.  This fantastic Grenache expression from Jake Coursen has us clamoring to see what this next chapter will look like for Jacob Franklin Wines.