Napa Valley is the fortunate home to a number of top-quality Cabernet Sauvignon producers, however exceptional Cabernet Franc is harder to come by. We were delighted to find this tiny project founded by winemaker Taylor Boydstun. Having come of age in a family of doctors, Taylor broke the mold by spending his early 20s traveling the world, which led him to harvest internships as far as New Zealand, Australia, and Austria. What inspired him most, though, was the wine of the Loire Valley, known for Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. When he returned home to the states, he was driven to produce top-quality Cabernet Franc in California, where he believed the potential was not being fully explored. Taylor ultimately landed in Napa Valley, where he is now the full-time winemaker for Teachworth Vineyard, in addition to running his passion project T. Berkley, producing only Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. When we first opened one of these wines for our tasting room guests, the response was, "I'll take a case." Big Ranch Vineyard, in the heart of Oak Knoll tucked at the base of Napa Valley, is home to vines planted in 1978, giving this wine effortless complexity. It sees 11 months in French oak and 7 months in concrete tank, allowing it to retain freshness and elegance. Precociousness peeks through this glass with crunchy red and black fruit, a hint of tobacco leaf, and fine tannins. Only 150 cases were produced.