Talk-A-Vino

In my oenophile journey, Cabernet Franc was one of the early discoveries. It all started in Bordeaux, and I don’t mean visiting, just reading about it, not even so much tasting. Continuing that journey, at some point I arrived in the Loire, and there, of course, Cabernet Franc is the king. I wouldn’t remember what the very first Cabernet Franc I tasted was, but I’m sure it was a Cabernet Franc from Loire – Chinon, Saumur, I’m not sure.

As I live on the East Coast of the US, it is only logical that my Cabernet Franc journey continued while discovering East Coast wineries – Finger Lakes, Niagara on the Lake, Hudson Valley, Long Island. In the wine world of the East Coast, Cabernet Franc is the undisputed king of red wines – practically every winery I know of makes Cabernet Franc wine, and they make it quite successfully.

It is interesting how we hear things in our lives, and only many years later, those things of a sudden start making sense (call me slow, I’m sure I deserve it). When Lori Budd of Dracaena Wines started Cabernet Franc Day celebrations more than 10 years ago, it was all done under the slogan “Not just a blending grape”. Yes, I understood the slogan, but never thought of the full notion behind it. Getting into the wine world on the East Coast, Cabernet Franc was never a blending grape for me – the absolute majority of the Cabernet Franc experiences were with 100% Cabernet Franc wines. However, as the California wine world grew up following Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc was generally not taken seriously on their own, but only in the supporting roles to the major grapes – e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon, the kind of California. As I’m typing this sitting on the train on my way to New York City to attend the Cabernet Franc Grand Tasting, I finally realize what Lori meant by her slogan, bringing her love of the Cabernet Franc from the East Coast to reality on the West Coast, in California. Yes, of course, it is not just a blending grape, and I’m just about to deep dive into the world of 100+ Cabernet Franc bottling from 40 producers.

Okay. So everything written above was written on the train on my way to the Cabernet Franc Grand Tasting 2026. Now, I want to share my impressions about the event, about the Cabernet Franc wines, and the experience overall.

Let me start with the event itself. In a word, top-notch. Pay attention – these are the impressions of the wine blogger/writer/geek. From that point of view, the event was possibly the best-organized I have ever attended. Of course, I will explain, no need to nudge.

Before the event, I got the list of wineries and wines planned for the event. The list was sorted alphabetically, with all the wine details (vintage, ABV, grape composition, MSRP). In the event, the wineries were located in the same exact order! If I didn’t want to go one by one, I would just easily locate the winery I wanted! Okay, I get it, there were only about 40 wineries in the event, but I don’t see how this wouldn’t scale. Also, talking about organization – we had individual spit cups provided, and every (!) table had a large spittoon – an absolute convenience in the wine tasting. Every year, I attend probably 10, maybe 15 large wine tasting events, so from that experience, this was literally the best, if not the best ever.

An impression of New York Cabernet Franc Grand Tasting in One Picture

Next part of the experience – Cabernet Franc seminar. My first attraction point to this seminar was the fact that it was led by Kevin Zraly, whom I really consider my wine teacher, after taking his Windows on the World wine school classes a few decades back. So I was very happy to be in his presence again. For the rest of it, the seminar experience was more of an “all over the place” type. It was too long (was supposed to be 1 hour, but it was 1:20 or so running time, plus a bit of a delay at the start). The panelists were all knowledgeable, but none of them were the winemakers, so I really didn’t learn much from them, and they all loved to talk. And the worst part, unfortunately, was the wines in the seminar, and here I’m a bit perplexed. I loved the classic method sparkling Cabernet Franc from Macari Vineyards on Long Island, which we were greeted with as we walked into the seminar room. I also loved the last wine #9, 2012 Cabernet Franc from the Arrowhead Spring Vineyards Niagara Escarpment- it was superb. The other 8 wines were all over the place, from greatness to a simple “no, I’m not drinking that” – but, if I overheard the panel correctly, the wines for tasting were poured 3 hours prior. If this is the case, this didn’t help those wines at all. Again, it is entirely possible that I completely misheard that. But for further details, please see my notes on the seminar wines below.

Kevin Zraly

Now, let’s talk about my Cabernet Franc impressions after tasting and the seminar.

I have to say that it’s been a while since I had a deep immersion opportunity into the New York Cabernet Franc at any scale, never mind such a large and focused event – this was my first time attending it. But that is not even an important point. It’s been a significant lapse since I had New York Cabernet Franc, so all comparisons I was making were the present state of the New York Cabernet Franc versus New York Cabernet Franc as I remember it.

The State of New York has 7 defined AVAs – Champlain Valley, Finger Lakes, Hudson River Region, Upper Hudson, Lake Erie, Long Island, and the Niagara Escarpment. Out of this list, I’m mostly familiar with Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley (lumping together both Hudson regions), and Long Island. These were mostly the regions represented in the tasting, plus the Niagara Escarpment.

The State of New York’s Cabernet Franc definitely evolved compared to what I knew. This evolution now includes not only widely available Cabernet Franc Rosé, but also sparkling Cabernet Franc. I’m curious when (I think “when” is more appropriate than “if”, but of course I can be wrong) we will see Cabernet Franc Blanc (similar to what we see in the Oregon Pinot Noir scene). I also would think that at some point, we should see Cabernet Franc “port” just to complete the full range of Cabernet Franc expressions.

Now, to summarize my impressions, I have to use the word I don’t like using – interesting. Interesting is definitely not a very kind descriptor, but that’s the best I can do at the moment – let me explain.

I loved the absolute majority of Rosé wines across the board. They were elegant, mostly lean, and many of them capable of perfectly competing with Provence. The same goes for sparkling wines – fresh, generous, with a wide range of expressions, but I would be happy to drink the majority of them (if we exclude the price). But the main body of the tasting, Cabernet Franc reds, represented a mixed bag.

During the seminar, one of the panelists used the descriptor “finesse” to describe Cabernet Franc. I love this descriptor, but for me, finesse first and foremost means perfection of the balance. All your taste buds have to sing in unison for the wine to be declared as having “finesse”. For example, Cayuse wines might be the most expressive wines made in the United States, solely based on their ability to express the specific terroir, but the main descriptor for Cayuse wines is “power”, not “finesse”. Burgundian Pinot Noir possesses finesse, but the main expression of Oregon Pinot Noir is power, not finesse. Going back to our Cabernet Franc wines, I found “finesse” maybe in 2-3 wines out of 60 – 70 I tasted.

Tannins often were my main issue. And please note – tannins, not the use of oak. A number of wines were proudly unoaked. When the front of my mouth was literally locked up by the borderline painful tannins, and the winery rep was explaining that the wines were aged in stainless steel, I had to ask, “how is the wine so tannic?”. “Ah, we macerated with the skins for 71 days”, was the reply. Oh… I don’t know if it will help the wine to age better, but for those of us who want to drink the wine now… Please, don’t do this.

Along the lines of “finesse,” my second gripe would be another claim made during the seminar – “terroir”. It was said that now we can find similarities among the wines coming from the same “place”. That means that we should be able to find similarities between Cabernet Franc made in the Hudson Valley and successfully differentiate them from Cabernet Franc made in the Finger Lakes. Feel free to call me an amateur shmuck, but I would not be able to find similarities or differentiate most of the Cabernet Franc wines (excellent wines, mind you!) I tasted, even if my life depended on it.

On a positive side, practically all Cabernet Franc aged expressions were delicious. We had 2005, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, and other vintages with some age, and they were excellent across the board. The 2005 Millbrook was probably at its peak, and I don’t know how long that peak will last. But my general observation is that New York Cabernet Franc can age.

Please don’t get me wrong – there were lots of excellent Cabernet Franc reds in the tasting. If you want to surprise someone with a delicious red from the East Coast of the United States, a bottle of Cabernet Franc would probably be your top contender. Better yet – if you find – and afford – a library Cabernet Franc, your friends would thank you profusely.

Now, for what it’s worth, I would like to share my notes from the seminar and the tasting. One generic note – if grape composition is not listed, the wine is made from 100% Cabernet Franc.

Seminar wines:
2024 Macari Vineyards “Horses” Cabernet Franc Pet Nat (11.4% ABV, $32) – wow! Fresh, delicious, crisp bubbles, just perfect.

1. 2024 Fjord Vineyards Estate Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region (12.6% ABV, $30)
A Wow nose, classic with cassis and tobacco.
The palate is disappointing. Green, aggressive

2. 2022 Benmarl Winery Estate Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region (13.7% ABV, $40)
Complex nose with graphite and herbs
Green, tight, tannic palate. Not enjoyable.

3. 2024 Paumanok Vineyards “Minimalist” Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island (12.5% ABV, $55)
Carrot Juice? Pomegranate?
Just no…

4. 2023 Lieb Cellars Estate Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island (12.9% ABV, 88% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec, $38)
Classic nose
Classic palate
+++, nice, enjoyable

5. 2021 Wölffer Estate Vineyard “Caya” Cabernet Franc Long Island (13.5% ABV, 87% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, $37)
Volcanic nose, pleasant, nice
The palate is powerful and balanced, earthy notes, tobacco, pronounced but balanced tannins.
+++-|, excellent

6. 2024 Boundary Breaks Vineyard Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (13.5% ABV, 95% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, $25)
Classic Nose on a lighter side.
Nice and classic palate, but tannins kick in quickly. Still, overall – not bad.
+++

7. 2023 Herman J.Wiemer Magdalena Vineyard Cabernet Franc (12.8% ABV, $45)
Rutherford dust on the nose, medicinal notes, bell pepper.
No bad, but fruit fades away quickly, leaving you with tannins.

8. 2020 Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (13% ABV, $28)
Beautiful, classic nose.
On the palate, the wine is balanced, with succulent fruit, tannins are present but well-balanced and appropriate.
+++-|

9. 2012 Arrowhead Spring Vineyards Library Selection Cabernet Franc, Niagara Escarpment
Nose is definitely medicinal, with iodine, cassis, and herbs.
Wow palate – wonderful, fresh, tight, great acidity, excellent.
++++, a special treat.

Here are my notes for the general tasting. I had time for about half of the tables (probably 23-24 out of 40), and the notes are very limited, as I mostly use my trade tasting rating system of “+” signs, with “+++” being a very solid rating. I’m also using “-|” as .5 improvement, so “++-|” basically means 2.5.
Okay, without further ado, here are the notes from the general tasting:

Apollo’s Praise 2024 Cabernet Franc – Picardie Finger Lakes (13% ABV, $28.00) – horrible. Green and biting

Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2023 Cabernet Franc Stainless Steel Niagara Escarpment (12.5% ABV, $19.95) – gripping tannins (71 days maceration???)
Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2023 Cabernet Franc Barrel Aged Niagara Escarpment (13.3% ABV, $24.95) – approacheable, nice

Atwater Vineyards 2024 Dry Rosé of Cabernet Franc/Blaufränkisch Finger Lakes (11.6% ABV, $27.00, 85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Blaufränkisch) – +++
Atwater Vineyards 2023 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (11.7% ABV, $32.00) – good
Atwater Vineyards 2024 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (14.1% ABV, $32.00) – ++, good

Benmarl Winery 2024 Pétillant Hudson River Region (12.3% ABV, $25.00) – +++, joy!
Benmarl Winery 2024 Dry Rosé Hudson River Region (12.2% ABV, $20.00) – ++-|, very good
Benmarl Winery 2022 Estate Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region (12.1% ABV, $40.00) – okay, strange. Petrol?

Boundary Breaks Vineyard 2024 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (13.5% ABV, $21.95, 95% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot) – ++
Boundary Breaks Vineyard 2024 Cabernet Franc Reserve Finger Lakes (13.5% ABV, $25.95) – ++, supposedly unoaked, gripping tannins
Boundary Breaks Vineyard 2024 Dry Rosé Finger Lakes (12.5% ABV, $15.95, 60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon) – on a sweeter side

Clovis Point Vineyard and Winery 2022 Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island (13.2% ABV, $45.00, 95% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec) – ++-|
Clovis Point Vineyard and Winery 2022 Sparkling Cabernet Franc (12% ABV, $49.00) – delicious! light sweetness

Damiani Wine Cellars 2024 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (13.5% ABV, $28.00) – +++
Damiani Wine Cellars 2024 Cabernet Franc Reserve Finger Lakes (13.7% ABV, $60.00) – +++
Damiani Wine Cellars 2024 Cabernet Franc Valois Vineyard Finger Lakes (14.1% ABV, $42.00) – +++
Damiani Wine Cellars 2022 Cabernet Franc Barrel Select Finger Lakes – superb

Dr. Konstantin Frank 2022 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (13% ABV, $27.99) – +++, classic, clean

EV&EM Vineyards 2023 Classic Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island (12.7% ABV, $58.00) – too lean. 2023 was a very difficult vintage
EV&EM Vineyards 2024 Classic Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island (12.7% ABV, $58.00) – much bigger than 2023. 2024 was an excellent year on Long Island

Fjord Vineyards 2024 Estate Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region (13.8% ABV, $30.00) – +++
Fjord Vineyards 2024 Estate Dry Rosé of Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region (12.6% ABV, $22.00) – +++, excellent, my favorite so far
Fjord Vineyards 2022 Estate Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region (13.1% ABV, $30.00) – ++-|, interesting, volcanic notes

Forge Cellars 2020 Willow Vineyard Cabernet Franc Seneca Lake Finger Lakes (13% ABV, $26.00) – good
Forge Cellars 2023 Caywood Vineyard Cabernet Franc Seneca Lake Finger Lakes (13% ABV, $28.00) – good

Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard 2023 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (12.5% ABV, $27.00) – +++, excellent
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard 2023 Cabernet Franc Magdalena Vineyard Finger Lakes (12.8% ABV, $45.00) – +++, excellent. Surprise – I didn’t like it in the seminar… Go figure…
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard 2021 Library Vintage Cabernet Franc in Magnum Finger Lakes (12.5% ABV, $90.00) – +++-|, excellent, round, powerful
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard 2016 Library Vintage Cabernet Franc 3 Litre Finger Lakes (12.5% ABV, $360.00) – +++, excellent
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard 2019 Single Clone 214 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes – an original Loire clone, very good
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard 2019 Single Clone 327 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes – a Bordeaux clone, certified in 1975, very good

Heron Hill Winery 2020 Heron Hill Classic Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (13.3% ABV, $22.00) – +++, nice, round, clean
Heron Hill Winery 2022 Ingle Vineyard Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (13.8% ABV, $40.00) – +++, nice, round, clean

Keuka Spring Vineyards 2024 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (13.1% ABV, $28.99) – +++, excellent, clean, delicate, light color with a lip-smacking palate
Keuka Spring Vineyards 2025 Dry Rosé Finger Lakes (11.8% ABV, $19.99, 60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Blaufrankisch) – +++-|, a new favorite
Keuka Spring Vineyards 2024 Epic Finger Lakes (12.1% ABV, $29.99, 65% Cabernet Franc, 35% Blaufrankisch) – +++-|, excellent

Lakewood Vineyards 2024 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (13.8% ABV, $20.00) – good, light, nice color
Lakewood Vineyards 2020 Reserve Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (15.9% ABV, $50.00) – good
Lakewood Vineyards 2024 Cabernet Franc Dry Rosé Finger Lakes (13.1% ABV, $18.00) – good

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars – Rosé was too sweet, and I didn’t like any of the reds

Lenz Winery 2021 Estate Selection Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island, Peconic (13.5% ABV, $55.00) – excellent. This is a new project at Lenz. Until 2017, Cabernet Franc was used only for blending

Living Roots Wine & Co. 2025 Finger Lakes Pet-Nat Rosé Finger Lakes (12.8% ABV, $26.00, 50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Blaufrankisch) – too sweet
Living Roots Wine & Co. 2025 Finger Lakes Dry Rosé Finger Lakes (12% ABV, $22.00, 41% Cabernet Franc, 33% Pinot Noir, 26% Blaufrankisch) – excellent
Living Roots Wine & Co. 2023 Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes (12.6% ABV, $30.00) – excellent

Macari Vineyards & Winery 2024 “Lifeforce” Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island (12.9% ABV, $30.00) – +++, excellent
Macari Vineyards & Winery 2022 Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island (12.9% ABV, $38.00) – excellent
Macari Vineyards & Winery 2010 Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island – ++++, wow, powerful, delicious

McCall Wines 2021 Cabernet Franc North Fork, Long Island (12.8% ABV, $28.00) – +++, excellent
McCall Wines 2015 Cabernet Franc Reserve North Fork of Long Island (13% ABV, $49.00) – ++++, outstanding, elegant

Milea Estate Vineyard 2023 Milea Estate Vineyard Farmhouse Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region (12.5% ABV, $40.00) – ++-|, good
Milea Estate Vineyard 2023 Milea Estate Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region (12.5% ABV, $50.00) – +++, excellent

Millbrook Vineyards & Winery 2025 Cabernet Franc Estate Rosé Hudson River Region (13.9% ABV, $30.00) – ++-|, good
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery 2023 Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region (13% ABV, $28.00) – ++-|, good
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery 2021 Cabernet Franc Proprietor’s Special Reserve Hudson River Region (13% ABV, $45.00) – +++, excellent
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery 2005 Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region (13% ABV, Library, 75% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon) – ++++, wow, delicious. Oldest in the tasting. Might be at its peak

Neverstill Wines 2023 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes / Hudson Valley (13%, $49.00) – good

One Woman Winery 2020 One Woman Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island (12.8% ABV, $42.00) – good
One Woman Winery 2022 One Woman Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island (12.8% ABV, $42.00) – good

Suhru & Lieb Vineyards 2023 Lieb Estate Cabernet Franc North Fork of Long Island (12.9% ABV, $38.00, 88% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec) – good
Suhru & Lieb Vineyards 2024 Suhru Wines Rosé North Fork of Long Island (11.6% ABV, $21.00, 54% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 16% La Crescent, 12% Lagrein) – good, and a new grape!

The Red Hook Winery 2019 Jamesport Vineyard Cabernet Franc Long Island (14.1% ABV, $40.00) – good

Wölffer Estate Vineyard 2023 Estate Cabernet Franc Long Island (13.5% ABV, $25.00, 82% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot) – good
Wölffer Estate Vineyard 2021 Caya Cabernet Franc Long Island (13.5% ABV, $37.00, 87% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot) – good
Wölffer Estate Vineyard 2010 Caya Library Selection Cabernet Franc Long Island (13.3% ABV, Library, 85% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon) – outstanding

Uff, this was a long post. Hope you reached here, but if you didn’t, you are not reading this anyway 🙂

Until the next time – cheers!