For more than four decades, the wines of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards have reflected the finest mountain and valley vineyards in Sonoma County. Our founder, Joe Martin, fell in love with Sonoma Valley and established St. Francis Vineyard in 1971, planting 22 acres of Chardonnay and the first 60 acres of Merlot in Sonoma Valley. After achieving great success as a grower, Joe opened his own winery in 1979 with his business partner Lloyd Canton.
Our first winemaker, Tom Mackey, joined St. Francis in 1983 and was renowned for elevating both the quality and style of Sonoma Merlot as an ultra-premium, stand-alone varietal. He also cultivated an in-depth understanding of every Sonoma appellation, enabling us to acquire and develop new vineyards and expand our wine portfolio.
In 1988 St. Francis partnered with the Kopf family, long admired for their historic family legacy in the wine and spirits industry and a commitment to quality. That legacy began in 1933 upon the repeal of prohibition when Rudy Kopf founded the wine and spirits department of Macy's Department Store in New York, turning it into what was then one of the finest wine and spirits retailers in the country. He later established his own wine and spirits company, now owned by his three daughters.
Today, a new generation of winemakers, Katie Madigan and Chris Louton, continues our long tradition of luscious, elegant, fruit-driven wines from Sonoma County grapes. We farm more than 400 acres of Certified Sustainable estate vineyards in Sonoma Valley and Russian River Valley, each with varying compositions of loam, clay and volcanic soils. We also nurture long-term relationships with top Sonoma County grape growers, giving the Winery access to some of the region's most coveted old vines Zinfandel and other varietals from acclaimed vineyards.
10a
California » Sonoma County
"This is a refreshing, medium-bodied Chardonnay with flavors and aromas of green apple, juicy pear and melon with a background note of marzipan. Bright and
"Zinfandel commonly expresses powerful notes of dark plum, blackberry, sweet spice, dark chocolate and licorice. Very ripe examples may express a hint of dried fruit
Wilfred Wong 89 "Francis Cabernet Sauvignon does so, and very well. TASTING NOTES: This wine is poised and nicely-built. Its aromas and flavors of black fruit
"This Merlot shows off deep, rich color and structure. Layers of aromas and flavors of cassis, plum, dried currant and savory spices introduce a long,
Claret is the British inspired name for an elegant red blend of classic Bordeaux varietals, in this case Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. This blend
This bright and balanced Chardonnay has aromas of tropical fruit, mango peel, peach and honey. Flavors that hint of baked apple and pear galette merge
"The wine is aged in American and French oak barrels for a full eighteen months. Once the wine is blended and bottled it is allowed
Wine Advocate 95 "The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Alexander Valley also spent 20 months in French oak prior to being bottled. One of the most
" Very juicy from the start, this blend of 60% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Zinfandel opens with a nose of
" Smooth and elegant with classic flavors and aromas of cherry, red licorice, currant and dried cranberry. Its silky structure is balanced by soft tannins
The Wine Advocate 90 "The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is a youngster. Dense purple in color, with ripe, concentrated fruit, a big, spicy mouthfeel, but still in
Deep aromas and flavors of ripe black cherries are laced with spice and toasted oak notes in this full-bodied wine of velvet tannins and a
" Smooth and elegant with classic flavors and aromas of cherry, red licorice, currant and dried cranberry. Its silky structure is balanced by soft tannins
Wine Enthusiast 89 "Grippy in tobacco and dark cherry, this affordable, well-distributed Cab delivers a lot to like, from its medium weight to soft, integrated tannins.
This polished Merlot shows off layered aromas and flavors of espresso, red cherry and chocolate that finish with a touch of savory spices. Medium to
Wine & Spirits 92 "Old-vine complexity is more apparent in this wine than in the Tres Viejos, perhaps because this wine is fresher. There's a
" This cabernet sauvignon has rich varietal character and body. The wine’s firm structure, generous tannins, and depth of color complement classic aromas and flavors
"Rich with notes of citrus, melon and vanilla, this Chardonnay is a fresh expression of the hand-picked classic varietal. Two thirds of the grapes in
Wine Spectator 86 Loaded with lead pencil, cedar and coconut flavors from toasty oak that fold into berry and plum tones, turning firmly tannic on the
"Ripe, rich, chewy blackberry and black currant flavors lead onto this wine's lush, velvety palate followed by impressions of cedar, tobacco, spice and vanilla with
"This full-bodied wine has great aromas of blue-black fruits, combined with notes of toasty chestnut. The mid-palate it is amazingly rich with an array of
"Wild Oak Chardonnay is a crisp yet full-bodied chardonnay that offers plush fruit in a clearly Burgundian context. The blend draws on outstanding sections of
" This Cabernet Sauvignon has rich varietal character and body. The wine’s firm structure, generous tannins, and depth of color complement classic aromas and flavors
" This Merlot is smooth and elegant with classic flavors and aromas of cherry, chocolate and plum. Its silky structure is balanced by soft tannins
Wine Spectator 89 "A zesty Zin, offering floral black cherry and toasted sage aromas, with lively, well-balanced flavors of plum, licorice and fresh pepper." " A classic