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Rob's "Wine of the Week" Archives

So here is my "wine of the week" for the week of March 3, 2005...

Franciscan 2001 Magnificat

Description: This is Franciscan's red wine blend, or Meritage, which is usually an excellent wine year after year. It is part Cabernet Sauvignon, part Merlot and part petit verdot.

How to Get it: I found this bottle at Sam's Club in February, 2005. You can get it at the winery in Napa, and in many great restaurants.

How Much: At Sam's, I paid $34 per bottle, although I've seen it as high as $44 there. It is generally a $40-50 bottle in stores, $75 in restaurants.

My Thoughts: I was disappointed in the sense that this year is not nearly as good as the 1999 and 2000 Magnificats. The 1999 is still one of the best ever, with flavors that literally dance on your tongue.

The 2001 is more dry and dense that previous years and almost comes across the palate like a semi-bland chocolate bar. Compared to past Magnificats, it also seems slightly chalky.

This review may not seem fair since I am comparing this wine to itself of previous years, and that's true. Overall, this is a good to very good wine, but Franciscan has done better in my opinion. I would age this for 3 years and try it again then.

Overall Score: On my 5 vine scale, I give this wine a 3 vines

Franciscan 2001 Magnificat =

Given the price, this makes it now worth your hard earned dollars at this time. Find some 1999 or 200 and spend the extra cash for the better bottle.