Bluestone’s 2023 Cabernet Franc takes Best of Class in San Francisco

The top award

Bluestone Vineyard’s 2023 Estate-Grown Cabernet Franc was awarded 96 points, a Double Gold medal and Best of Class in the Cabernet Franc category at the 2026 San Francisco International Wine Competition. Founded in 1980, the competition uses panels of wine-industry professionals to assess entries from around the world.¹

Winemaker Lee Hartman said the result was especially meaningful to the family-owned winery and reflected both its work and Cabernet Franc’s suitability to Virginia. Bluestone operates near Bridgewater in the Shenandoah Valley, where it has 26 acres of vines; the winery opened in 2011.¹

Earlier recognition and the wine’s profile

The same 2023 Cabernet Franc had previously earned a gold medal and 90 points at the 2025 East Meets West International Wine Competition, a 90-point rating from James Suckling and a gold medal at the 2026 Virginia Governor’s Cup.¹

Bluestone describes the wine as structured and spice-led, with cherry, raspberry, layered fruit and savory qualities that become more evident with time in the glass. Suckling’s review cited black raspberry and cherry aromas, earthy elements, spice and tannins on the palate.¹

Six silver medals for Bluestone

Six other Bluestone wines received silver medals at the 2026 San Francisco competition: 2024 Chardonnay, 2024 Stainless Steel Chardonnay, 2025 Petit Manseng, 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023 Houndstooth red blend and 2023 Petit Verdot.¹

The Shenandoah Valley estate

Bluestone is a family-owned producer focused on Virginia wine. Its vineyard and tasting room overlook the vines and surrounding mountains near Bridgewater, and the winery presents its wines as expressions of the Shenandoah Valley site.¹