2000 Franciscan Oakville Estate Magnificat $23
($23 is the price that I had listed in my notes back from when I bought it, even though the list price is $50.)
I have a fond place in my heart for the Franciscan Oakville Estate as they were partly responsible for my current love of wine. However I must say that my tastes have outgrown most of their selection. The one exception is the Magnificat. Each year they change the blend to get the most out of their red wines. It is always quite pleasant, and very well-balanced.
There are dark cherries and perhaps a touch of blueberries in the aroma. The flavor has a touch of chocolate and just a touch of oak. It is very smooth and has a nice finish.
We had Magnificat as an opening wine for our dinner party at Shawnee Country Club, Lima, Ohio on 12-20-06, and to a person–everyone LOVED it! I’ve looked for it but have only been able to find one bottle. We had the 2000 vintage. Any help out there? Thanks. JLS
I can get the Magnificat at Costco for about $34-$36 on a consistent basis. The bigger wine stores in my area have it for a couple of dollars more.