On February 3rd I attended the second annual Cab Franc Forward tasting which was a tasting of New York State wines made from the Cabernet Franc grape varietal.
Cab Franc Forward is a “movement” redefining Cabernet Franc wines in New York State from wineries that “craft Cabernet Franc with passion, precision and character”. Cabernet Franc is one of the major red varieties in Bordeaux and the main red grape of the Loire Valley in France.
A lot of people don’t realize that New York State is not just big cities but is an agricultural State as well. It ranks about 2nd in wine production in the United States with 11 AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas) producing $16.81 billion dollars of revenue for the State.
Cabernet Franc is a parent grape of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is an early ripening varietal which makes it perfect for the cooler climate of New York State.
I remember that in the early days of the Long Island wine region, there was talk that Cabernet Franc would become the defining grape of the Long Island AVA and put that region on the map.
It hasn’t turned out that way, Merlot is still the dominant red grape out on the east end, but most wineries planted it and produce it so you’re able to get a glass of it if you visit the east end wineries. Much of it goes into the rosé wines produced in the region.
The event was held at the Prince George Ballroom located at 15 East 27th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Most of the wineries were from the Finger Lakes and Long Island with a handful of others and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the wines; many winemakers were able to tone down the overly herbaceous and stemmy flavors that I’ve had in the past.
Some of what I sampled:
2024 Damiani Wine Cellars Cab Franc Valois Vineyard (Finger Lakes): Clear medium purple, dirty tar and red cherry on the nose, chewy black licorice fruit with tar notes on the chewy and balanced finish.
2024 EV&EM Vineyards Classic Cab Franc (Long Island): Clear light purple, crushed stone, dried rosemary and smoky raspberry on the nose, tight red fruit with vegetable notes, silky and tight tannin.
2016 Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Cab Franc Library Vintage in 3 liter (Finger Lakes): Clear medium brick, stinky ripe black fruit, juicy and plummy fruit with good acidity and balance.
2022 Keuka Springs Vineyard Cab Franc Reserve (Finger Lakes): Clear medium brick, fresh rosemary on the nose, juicy red fruit with a nice balance and long finish.
2024 Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars Cab Franc MJW Vineyard Unoaked (Finger Lakes): Clear light purple, tree bark and strawberry on the nose, juicy fruit ending with moderate tannin and acidity.
2021 Lenz Winery Cab Franc Estate Selection (Long Island): Clear medium purple, black cherry and tree bark on the nose, tight black fruit ending with firm tannin and acidity.
2022 Macari Vineyards Cab Franc (Long Island): Clear medium red, smoky and earthy red fruit on the nose, chewy with stemmy notes ending with firm acidity.
2021 McCall Wines Cab Franc (Long Island): Clear medium red, juicy white pepper and cooked vegetable notes on the nose, silky red fruit, dusty tannin with firm acidity.
2024 Marcari Vineyards Cab Franc “Lifeforce” (Long Island): Clear medium red, earthy and smoky red fruit on the nose, chewy fruit with stem notes ending with firm acidity.
2023 Milea Estate Vineyard Cab Franc “Farmhouse” (Hudson River Region): Clear medium red, crushed strawberries on the nose, chewy fruit with some oak notes, firm balanced finish.
2021 Millbrook Winery Cab Franc Proprietor’s Special Reserve (Hudson River Region): Clear medium brick, sweet dirty tar on the nose, chewy sweet fruit with nice structure.
2020 One Women Winery Cab Franc (Long Island): Cloudy medium brick, sweet crushed red fruit on the nose, chewy with dark chocolate notes and tight slate notes on the long finish.
2023 Red Newt Cellars Cab Franc (Finger Lakes): Clear medium purple, smoky and toasty black fruit on the nose, chewy black fruit ending with crisp acidity.
2022 Roanoke Vineyards Cab Franc “Gabby’s” (Long Island): Clear medium purple, toasty tar on the nose, chewy and juicy with black licorice notes, nice balance.
2020 Rosina’s Winery Cab Franc (Hudson River Region): Clear light red, sweet cherry and black pepper on the nose, chewy red fruit, nice balance.
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