WINEMAKER PETER FRANUS AT PEARSON'S JANUARY 22 FRIDAY NIGHT 5-8 PM

HAVE WE GOT A TREAT FOR YOU AS WE HAVE PETER FRANUS IN STORE ON FRIDAY NIGHT FOR A WINE TASTING!

PETER FRANUS HAS ALSO MADE PEARSON'S HIS OFFICIAL WINE RETAILER FOR THE WASHINGTON DC METRO AREA.

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS EVENT AS IT WILL BE A GREAT NIGHT!

There is no charge for the tasting . . . however we must be prepared. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to David@PearsonsWine.com

PETER FRANUS

"While being a very small operation with nearly the entire artisan wines having a case level production of fewer than 1000 cases the quality of the wines that consistently emerges from Peter Franus remains unheralded." - Robert Parker

All great wines have several features in common- richness, complexity, harmony, and most important, an invitation to come back for more and discover something new with each taste. Peter Franus enjoys wines that are elusive, those that you can't quite put a finger on or explain completely. These thoughts guide his winemaking style. With more than 30 years of winemaking experience, Peter has a great respect for tradition, and relies largely on intuition and feelings to guide his decisions.

Before making wines for himself, Peter worked at Chalone, Veederhills Vineyard (Hess/William Hill) and Chateau St. Jean before going to Mount Veeder Winery in 1981 where he was winemaker until 1992. At Mount Veeder Peter developed a special appreciation of Zinfandel which the winery produced until 1982. It became the inspiration and the opportunity to produce his first wine, a Zinfandel, in 1987.

Peter Franus believes "As a winemaker my greatest satisfaction comes when I see a smile and hear the simple comment, "this is delicious." At first I thought it was a comment mainly reserved for Zinfandel, and in that sense Zinfandel has been a wonderful educator. It reaffirmed my notion that wine is a sensual experience, and my goal remains to provide as much pleasure as I can, whatever the wine. I am attracted to the elusive, the unknowable, and the mystery of wine. There are those who want to control and twist the soul of a wine and regard winemaking as some sort of formula process to be manipulated, explained, and figured out. I choose the opposite path. Beginning with unique vineyard sites and grapes with personality, I rely on experience and intuition to guide my decision-making. The transformation of grapes into wine fills me with awe."

PETER FRANUS CARNEROS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2008
Peter Franus Notes: "As successful as our 2007 Sauvignon Blanc was-one publication listed it # 24 in the top 100 wines of 2008-I would have to say I am drawn even more to the 2008. It's a little more forward and just seems to offer a slightly higher level of excitement. This is a wine we never tire of drinking. It goes with so many of the foods we enjoy, elevating the pleasure of a meal. Very light straw in color with the slightest hint of green, the forward nose offers a profusion of aromas reminiscent of Thai cuisine- ginger, mint, lime, lemongrass-as well as melon, peach, and fresh hay. There is an edge of acidity, essential to fine Sauvignon Blanc, but it is always kept surprisingly in check by the richness of the mouth."
REG $27.99 . . . PEARSON'S SALE PRICE . . . $21.99

PETER FRANUS NAPA ZINFANDEL 2007
Peter Franus Notes: "You will be hearing often. 2007 is a wonderful vintage. As opposed to 2006, the 2007 growing season got off to an early start, and good ripening conditions throughout the summer resulted in a harvest that started on the earlier side. It was an outstanding year for Zinfandel, and the wines offer lush, ripe, flavors with very supple tannins. Dark ruby in color, the wine offers an inviting nose of spice, roasted coffee, sweet oak, blackberry, and a hint of cedar. Dark berry flavors introduce an amazingly lush, fresh, bright palate with virtually no edges. Seamless comes to mind. One sip invites another. One glass invites another. The balance and approachability of this wine have honestly caught me off guard. Wow!"
REG $36.99 . . . PEARSON'S SALE PRICE . . . $26.99

PETER FRANUS BRANDLIN VINEYARD ZINFANDEL 2006
Peter Franus Notes: "I have had the privilege to work with the magnificent Brandlin Vineyard since 1991. The picturesque head-trained vines-65 to 85 years old--are not irrigated and face the east about 1200 feet above NapaValley. The vineyard is amazingly consistent, and each year I wonder what kind of wine it will offer me, reflecting all the variables and idiosyncrasies of the growing season. I treasure my walks through the vineyard with Chester Brandlin as I imagine the history that the vines have witnessed during all these decades.
Medium ruby in color, the aromas offer blueberry, allspice, and black cherry notes, made more complex by that Brandlin terroir of mineral and earth. Toasty French oak integrates and elevates the nose, while enhancing the structure and tannin profile of the wine. This is a vibrant, lively, and refreshing wine that invites another glass, and perhaps even a third! The 2006 stylistically reminds me of both the 1997 and 2001 vintages. Both are still aging beautifully, an attribute that I predict will hold true for this latest release--#16 in the series."
REG $45.99 . . . PEARSON'S SALE PRICE . . . $34.99

PETER FRANUS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006
Peter Franus Notes: "In contrast to the 2005 which was a little more brooding a year ago, the 2006 offers a very pretty, forward, and spicy nose of cinnamon, clove, plum, and black cherry. My notes say warm, enticing, and generous. I go back to this wine often-there is an elusiveness and intrigue that are always hallmarks of the wines I enjoy. The mouth is balanced and restrained, with an edginess that should sustain the wine for quite some time. This is not a wine to ponder over. It is one to drink and enjoy!"
REG $49.99 . . . PEARSON'S SALE PRICE . . . $38.99

PETER FRANUS RED WINE NAPA VALLEY 2005
Peter Franus Notes: "Dark ruby, nearly opaque, the 2005 Napa Valley Red exhibits an expansive nose of cassis, black cherry liqueur, sweet oak, and baking spice notes. The core is dark, somewhat brooding, with no single flavor component dominating the other. The wine is supple on entry, with a certain firmness and grip in the middle palate. The acidity, and structure with some edges and angles, may evoke a comparison or two to its Bordeaux counterparts."
Wine Enthusiast 93 points: "Delicious and complex. Shows a superb tannic structure, soft and complicated and refined, housing dry but rich flavors of black currants, cherries, chocolate, anise, cedar and pepper. Elegant and distin- guished, and should develop through 2011, at least."
REG $69.99 . . . PEARSON'S SALE PRICE . . . $54.99

TO ORDER CALL 202 333 6666: For SAME DAY SERVICE visit us in person at 2436 Wisconsin Ave NW, Wash DC . . . EMAIL ORDERS ARE NOT PROCESSED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY and may be sold out by then . . . but if you insist, email your order to David (david@pearsonswine.com) include your name & phone number. We will call you the next day to confirm availability and we will hold your order with payment in full.
THE BEST WAY . . . HAVE SOME FUN . . . COME INTO THE STORE.
NUMEROUS WINES ARE ALWAYS OPEN FOR TASTING.