Cabernet Franc on Long Island

Cabernet Franc is a vtis vinifera black grape that is an important part of the blend of Bordeaux wines. It’s also the primary grape of the Loire wines of Chinon and Bourgueil. The grape is the parent grape of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and was brought into France from the Basque region of Spain.

Out at the east end of Long Island wine country because of the growing conditions there, at one time it was touted as the grape that would put the Long Island AVA on the map.

It never dethroned Merlot as the primary red grape of the region but since it was widely planted, most wineries bottle it on its own or uses the grape in whatever Bordeaux Blend red wine they produce.

One Sunday afternoon I took a drive out to the east end wine country for a visit and sampled a few Cabernet Franc.

One Women Winery

5195 Old North Road, Southold

The one woman is Claudia Purita, the owner and wine maker at this certified sustainable winery. All the wines are from estate grown fruit. The tasting “shack” can barely hold a handful of people (a new tasting room is under renovation) but on nice days there is a patio out front to sit at.

2017 Cabernet Franc

Opaque medium brick, white pepper and crushed red fruit on the nose with bright red cherry fruit and black pepper and gun metal notes on the firm finish with silky tannins.

Roanoke Vineyards Tasting Room

165 Love Lane, Mattituck

The tasting room at the vineyard is for members only but the public is welcome to their satellite tasting room in Mattituck. It’s on Love Lane which is the shortest access between the two wine roads. A two block long business district with shops and a train station. There’s a nice deli across the street and next door to a cheese shop that serves fondue.

2020 Cabernet Franc

Clear medium red, sweet candy apple and some damp earth on the nose with silky, red leather fruit on the firm but balanced finish.

Clovis Point Winery

1935 Main Road, Jamesport

Named after the prehistoric projectile points found on the property, they have 10 acers under vine and the wines are estate grown.

2019 Cabernet Franc

Opaque black with a purple rim, big nose of toast and dark chocolate with bright black cherry and tobacco notes on the fruit ending with a good grip.

Paumanok Vineyards

1074 Main Road (Rt 25), Aquebogue

Paumanok Vineyards is one of the original founding fathers of the North Shore Long Island wine industry. It was founded in 1983 by Ursula and Charles Massoud.

It’s the first winery you run into on the North Shore wine route (Main Road) as you are travelling Eastbound.

They are an under the radar winery that have been pumping out drinkable wine for years, they are one of the few wineries growing and bottling a Chenin Blanc.

The sunny tasting room overlooks the vineyard, and not surprisanly, the winery facilities are in a converted barn.

On this visit I decide to sample a couple of red.

2019 Estate Cabernet Franc

100% Cabernet Franc. Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed raspberry and bacon fat on the nose, juicy, silky dark fruit with some black licorice notes on the finish. Moderate tannins and acids, very drinkable.

2019 Estate Petit Verdot

100% Petit Verdot. Opaque black in color with crushed rocks and spicy crushed black fruit on the nose, tart black fruit followed by firm tannins.

McCall Winery

McCall Wines 22600 Main Road, Cutchogue

McCall began producing wine in 2007. A couple of unique things about this winery are that they have 11 acres of Pinot Noir planted which is one of the biggest Pinot Noir vineyards on the East coast and that in addition to growing grapes, they also are a cattle ranch raising grass-fed Charolais cattle, which is an historic breed from France.

The tasting room is in a rustic former potato barn not too far from the huge wine turbine they have on property.

2016 Chardonnay “Reserve”

Dark gold in color with an aromatic nose of tropical fruits, big bodied with honey, melon, pineapple and mouth filling glycerin on the finish with some nice acidity at the end. Starting to show its age but still very drinkable in an old school California full bodied style.

2016 Cabernet Franc

Clear medium brick in color with an amber rim, black cherry and sweet spice on the nose with tar, leather and black fruit ending with some tart notes on the finish.

The Other Cabernet On Long Island

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Cabernet Franc is one of the major red varietals of the world and the parent grape to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It is medium bodied with medium to high acidity and in its historical home, France, it is one of the grapes used in the classic Bordeaux blend and the primary red grape in the Loire region. It’s also a major grape varietal in both the Finger Lakes and Long Island wine regions of New York State.

Out in the Long Island wine region, the early (than Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) ripening grape was thought to be a perfect fit for the cooler climate on the North Fork. It hasn’t dethroned Merlot as the primary grape varietal but most wineries grow it either for blending or bottling on its own.

On a quiet Sunday afternoon I took a drive to wine country to sample a few.

Roanoke Vineyards Tasting Room 165 Love Lane, Mattituck

This is their satellite tasting room as the tasting room at the winery is now members only. On a two block long commercial area with a cheese shop next door and an Italian deli across the street.

2016 Cabernet Franc: “The Twelve Rows”: 98% Cabernet Franc from the site specific Twelve Rows block. Cloudy medium purple with a purple rim, camphor, crushed red fruit, licorice and dark chocolate on the nose, bright dark fruit with raspberry notes on the crisp finish.

Bedell Cellars 36225 Main Road, Cutchogue

A family owned operation with vines planted in 1980 using sustainable farming and “artistic blending”.

2017 Cabernet Franc: From estate grown grapes fermented with indigenous yeasts, opaque black with a purple rim, cooked berries, raspberry and mike chocolate on the nose, bright red fruit with firm acidity, I thought the finish dropped a bit at the end.

Paumanok Vineyards 1074 Main Road, Aquabogue

Founded in 1983 and entirely owned and managed by Ursula and Charles Massoud, the tasting room is in a turn of the century renovated barn.

2016 Cabernet Franc: 100% Cabernet Franc, opaque dark red, purple rim, slate, crushed rocks and wet dirt on the nose, bright red cherry fruit with wet earth notes on the fruit, low tannin, firm acidity, on the light side.

Cabernet Franc On Long Island

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Cabernet Franc is one of the varietals used in the classic Bordeaux blend and of Chinon in the Loire Valley. It’s a thinner skinned and earlier ripening relative of Cabernet Sauvignon. At one time on Long Island there was talk around that Cabernet Franc was going to be the varietal that was going to put the region on the map. It was said that the cooler, maritime conditions of the North Fork were perfect for the grape. Alas, it was not to be, Cabernet Franc was never able to dethrone Merlot as the primary grape in the region and wine makers have begun experimenting with other red varietals such as Syrah and Malbec. Cabernet Franc is still used in the Bordeaux blends that the North Fork wineries bottle and is still bottled on its own though some wineries aren’t growing it anymore or bottling it as a single varietal.

2013 Roanoke Vineyards Cabernet Franc (North Fork LI). Had this at their Love Lane tasting room since the winery tasting room is for members only. Dark red in color, opaque, slate, and black cherry on the nose with stewed prune notes as the wine opened up in the glass, dense and chunky with black cherry fruit, nice balance.

2013 Clovis Point Vineyards Cabernet Franc (North Fork LI). Relatively new winery, began with land purchased in 2001. Dark red to black in color with a purple robe, crushed rocks and dried herbs on the nose with crushed black fruit, chewy with firm tannin on the juicy, dark chocolate finish.

2012 Palmer Vineyards Cabernet Franc “Proprietor’s Reserve” (North Fork LI). One of North Fork’s original wineries. Dark amber with a brick robe and cloudy, red licorice on the nose, juicy, red fruit with notes of sour cherry, tart with some green notes on the finish.