LANG & REED Cabernet Franc 2014

(North Coast, California) $27

You want a delicious summer red. Nothing limp. Something with backbone…just not the ramrod backbone of, say, a (well, you know the big guns). A good summer red needs some grip (juxtaposition for BBQ perhaps), and a modicum of freshness (because it’s hot out). A good summer red should be like a man’s summer suit—manly, yet capable of being worn lightly. Here’s that wine. Cabernet Franc specialists John and Tracey Skupny have been making Loire-inspired cabernet franc for 24 years in California. Their artisanal approach shows. (13.5% abv)

Available at Lang & Reed