Water into Wino

Anthony Road Cabernet Franc-Lemberger

Cabernet Franc-Lemberger 2006
Finger Lakes, New York ($18)

Every once in a while I find a wine that seems like its been grown, made and marketed towards people like myself. On a recent trip to basically the only wine store I go to these days, I found a wine that simply made its purchase mandatory. No questions. No doubts. No checking of my finances before hand.

There are only a few grapes that could induce this kind of reaction. And if this isn't your first trip to my site, you probably know the that I'm talking about cabernet franc. But this bottle had even more going for it... 30% lemberger! And from the Finger Lakes to boot.

Anthony Road Winery is located on the west side of Seneca Lake. I've stopped in quickly on my way down to NYC in the past and was mildly impressed with the reds, which were really the only wines I tasted there. The fact is nothing really stood out compared to the other FL reds I tried that day. I had pretty much forgotten about them until last week when I found this bottle.

Why am I so thrilled about this wine? I just think these two grapes are suited for cool climate viticulture up here in the FL and Niagara USA Region. Rarely do you see them together and I'm not sure why that's the case. I know Fox Run Vineyards also bottled a blend of the two that won an award or two, but it wasn't available when I visited. So this bottle is my first introduction to the cab franc/lemberger wines of the FL.

Dark red color with aromas of raspberry and cherry. Lively mouth feel with decent weight to it for a cool climate red. Spicy tones of cherry and vanilla linger on the finish. I drank this with my meat ragu (and used it in sauce as well) the other night and loved every sip. I don't think it's big enough to just hang out with as it begs for food with its acidity. It also benefitted with decanting and/or a good rest over night. My grade: A-

Corey Creek Cabernet Franc 2002

Corey Creek Cabernet Franc 2002
Northfork, New York USA ($20)

The 2002 growing season must have been a good one for North Fork red grape growers. It was the 02' Osprey's Dominion Cabernet Franc that motivated a spending spree on Cab Franc that me to having a the franc filled wine fridge I have today. I've enjoyed a few others from the same vintage but nothing that excited me as much as the Osprey's. A few days ago I was reminded of my first innocent experiences with great Cab Franc.

Black raspberry and cherry aromas. I thought the color is slightly lighter than the Osprey's 02' and overall the tannins seem a bit smoother. The supple mouth-feel was simply delightful. It reminded me of the 04' Jamesport Cab Franc that critics went gaga over last year. The lengthy finish had a bit of vanilla and cedar and it just left a great impression. My grade: A

Osprey's Dominion Cabernet Franc 2002

Osprey's Dominion can take much of the credit for my awakening to Long Island's North Fork wine country. Sure it took a couple of my good friends to pour there for a few seasons to find it, but it really did open me up to several new things. It all started with the 2000 vintage Cabernet Franc and evolved into day long picnics with live music, friends, and a huge selection of wine.

Last season Osprey's was building a new tasting room so we didn't hang out there for their live music and tranquil scenery as much as I'd like to. This didn't stop us from stopping by to taste how their Meritage blends were evolving and to pick up more Cab Franc. They probably have the widest selection of reds and whites on the Island, with about 90 acres of grapes planted. In 2005 they were declared winery of the year at the NY State Wine and Food Classic and they are no stranger to double gold and best in show awards.

The standouts for me have been the reds of course, the rose, Fume Blanc, the Sauvignon Blanc, and maybe even the Johannisberg Riesling. The list goes on and on and something they have should satisfy anyone that goes. They welcome picnics on their property and it's as easy as walking up to the outdoor bar and bringing an open bottle back to your group. On busy weekends, it may get crowded with families and kids playing, but its always relaxing.

Osprey's Dominion Cabernet Franc 2002
North Fork, Long Island, New York, USA ($24)

The 2000, 2001, and 2002 Cabernet Francs have been among the best in the region. They have been known to mix in a splash of Merlot to round it out some but the 2002 is pure Franc. The wine spends 12 months in French oak and the alcohol weighs in at 13%.

Dark ruby red color. Aromas of cherry, raspberry, and bell pepper. Textbook mouth feel as far as I'm concerned. A slightly tart food friendly acidity is obvious and welcome. This is not for the fruit bomb lovers out there as the fruit is subtle and in lockstep with the spice and herbal qualities. What really separates this wine from similar ones is its long delicate spicy finish. My grade: B+

Finger Lakin Good Cab Franc

My passion for all things Cabernet Franc hasn't let up in the time I've been grossly neglecting this blog. Although I've tasted a few that made me rethink it as being my favorite varietal. It's just so damn hard to balance out the acidity and fruit with the green characteristics of most of the cool weather francs I consume. These thoughts began after I drank a deliciously large and juicy one from Castello di Borghese on Long Island. Unlike any other I've drank from that area, it was dark and mysterious, complex and relentless on the finish. The kid over at Vintage New York endorsed it as one that will "rock my world" and in some ways it did, though without the herbal notes I associate with the grape. Was I beginning to prefer the more ripe and extracted style of this wine?

Ravines Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc 2005
Keuka Lake, Finger Lakes, New York ($18)

Turns out the answer is no. Jay over at The Wine Chicks pointed me to a Finger Lakes Cab Franc from Ravines Wine Cellars recently. This bottle from the 2005 vintage had everything I love about this varietal. Cherry and blackberry flavors mixed with spicy herbal notes combined with oak aging that amplifies the complexity and length in the finish. Since I haven't tried too many Finger Lakes Cab Francs, this one easily takes the prize as the best I've tasted. That being said, I look forward to trying Dr. Frank's version also from the east side of Keuka Lake.

Forty Dollars a Day

"Best Red in Show" in the Sunlight

It's amazing how the value of a dollar can change within the coarse of the day. During a recent trip to the Northfork of Long Island, my opinion of spending $40 on a Cab Franc went from a skeptical "yeah right" to a somewhat slurred "put it on the Visa." My anticipation of visiting Jamesport Vineyards had been growing all season. A "Best Cab Franc" award at the New York Food and Wine festival only fueled my interest and I'm not even going to mention the Wine Advocate blurbs about Jamesport's wines. Osprey's Dominion 2001 Cab Franc won the same "Best Red" and "Best Cab Franc" the previous year and I love that wine enough to give it credit for my current addiction to the varietal.

After insisting we stop at Jamesport first during our recent visit I was amped to get a taste of their reds. Because we went on the weekend the tasting room was overwhelmed with buses and "weekenders." No clean glasses and my refusal to taste in plastic denied my taste buds for a little while longer, but when I finally got my flight I wasn't disappointed at all. The 2001 Merlot Reserve was lush and concentrated with cherries and plums. It had everything I have come to love Long Island wines including a perfect balance of fruit and oak with that terroir of the North Fork. The acclaimed Cabernet Franc 2004 was just as good as the hype that surrounds it. Aromas of red berries and smoke with a elegantly soft mouth feel and a palate that whispered strawberry. The finish was delicate and subtle. It didn't have the spiciness that I expected with only a slight herbal quality yet still delicious and unique to the region.

My only disappointment with my experience there was the prices. Both of these reds were priced roughly at $40. Similar Cab Francs at Osprey's Dominion and Corey Creek Cellars that are equally as satisfying are almost half the price. With my current budget combined with the amount of wine I buy in general, a $40 wine makes its way into my home a few times a year. Long story short...I passed on a purchase of the Cab Franc at Jamesport.

Key Lime Pie at EON in Southold

After lunch at EON (duck salad and key lime pie - Shinn Rose and Corey Creek Cab Franc) in Southold and tastings at Castello di Borghese our journey led us to Shinn Estate Vineyards. Shinn is a small winery that practices sustainable agriculture. Their tasting room is a tiny room in a renovated old barn that oozes with quaintness. The owners are on hand to pour and answer questions, and even ring you up after you splurge on a few bottles. Stand-out wines tasted were "Wild Boar Doe" 2004 and their 2005 Rose. I was bummed when I found out they weren't pouring their Cab Franc, but after some of my charming nosiness, co-owner Barbara Shinn indeed let me know there just happened to be an open bottle behind the bar. From what I remember there are only 1 1/2 acres of cab franc planted there and only 170 cases made of this 2004 vintage which has a price tag of around $40. For some reason I didn't mind shelling out the cash for this bottle. Maybe because there's not that much of it going around, maybe it was the organic vineyards or the humble tasting room, or maybe it was because it resembled a mom and pop business that made my decision easy. In hindsight it may have been all the alcohol, but after being wooed by the ambience of the North Fork, I found myself completely doing a 180 and heading home with a $40 bottle that I'm sure will just cause me anxiety when I decide when to open it. Cheers to that!

Shinn Estate tasting room

Rafael Cambra Dos 2004

Rafael Cambra Dos 2004
Valencia, Spain ($20)

Even though I haven't been updating this site recently, I haven't been a stranger to the other wine blogs I've come to appreciate. A recent Wine Chicks posting mentioned a Spanish Cabernet Sauv/Franc blend from Valencia called "Dos" by Rafael Cambra. It would only be a short matter of time after reading that before I found a bottle to try myself. I'm learning that I much prefer wine blog reviews to those of a magazine.

First of all, it has a kick arse bright orange label with a simple yet elegant scribble of grapes. Dark violet color, practically opaque wine. Aromas of plum and blackberry. Well balanced and supple, very pleasing on the palate. Very full flavored but ultimately not a very long finish. It could probably benefit from some more time in the bottle as the tannins weren't integrated enough. I'm gonna buy a couple more bottles and see how it ages. My grade: B+

Chevalerie Bourgueil Cuvée du Peu-Muleau

Chevalerie Bourgueil Cuvée du Peu-Muleau 2001
France, Touraine, Bourgueil ($18)

This is one of those bottles I would have passed right over had I not done my geeked out research on Cab Franc. I've been aware of Chinon and Saumur-Champigny for a while now. Only recently did I discover that Bourgueil is another Loire appellation I might be interested in. During the Astor blow out sale I picked this one up for a fraction of its original price. Bourgueil is northwest of Chinon and northeast of Saumur-Champigny.

Bright red in color. Raspberry and somewhat vegetal on the nose. Smooth texture and light tannins combine with a cherry and berry flavor to make this a pleasing easy to drink wine. Somewhat tart with earthy notes on the finish. It's not as lively as the L.I. Cab Francs I love. I didn't notice the peppery qualities I expected either. All around a good wine that I would buy again. My grade: B+

Hungary for Wine

Every time I go into a generic wine or liquor store for the first time I will scour every shelf for that one bottle. The forgotten wine that the average consumer has no interest in. The wine that lacks marketability. The bottle that has a layer of dust on it. I am looking for that under $10 wine that should have sold out two years ago. In NYC there are thousands of liquor stores that carry some random ass wines. Last year over the course of a few months I bought up all the Agriolas Vallone Salice Salentino reserve 2000 bottles at my local shop. The 2000 vintage in Puglia is a great one and this wine opened me up to southern Italian wines. A good find I dare say.

Since my ongoing Can Franc delirium started, I always check for it in every store. Most likely I will find a Californian, and here in NY you might find a Long Island version in stock. The wine boutiques carry a few French Loire Valley bottles, and if I'm lucky, some Friulian Franc from Italy. A recent search on the web brought me to a Vinography entry about a Hungarian Cab Franc. At $80 it's a bottle that one will have to remain a dream. But, the knowledge of this varietal being grown in Hungary is priceless info that I've reserved some brain cells for.

Finding good wine is easy. Finding wine that you can drink any day for under $10 and still have that excitement about the varietal is another thing altogether. With more popular varietals like Cabernet or Syrah, you can find a number of wines from new world producers under $10. The not so popular Cab Franc, at least on the east coast, is more of a boutique varietal. This leads to $20 price tags and a not so easy find unless you are shopping in a wine specialty store. So I'm always looking for one under a ten spot. You can imagine my excitement when I found this bottle at a liquor store I checked out the other day.

Craftsman Cabernet Franc 2003
Hungary, Szekszard ($9)

You can't miss the pink label on this one. The Szekszard region is not something you see everyday either. Apparently the grapes are from there and it's bottled at Hilltop Neszmely Vineyards. It's 100% Cab Franc and aged for a year in Hungarian oak barrels. The 12.9% alcohol is at level that I like, not too high or low. Ruby red color. Cherries and strawberries on the nose. Tart cherry flavor with a slight herbal tinge. Juicy texture with a quick finish. Feels light bodied in mouth. I can't really tell that its been in oak. Overall not bad. Obviously not a $20 bottle. It's sufficient for a dinner wine though. My girlfriend loved it. My grade: B

It's what you don't buy that counts.

Pindar Cabernet Franc 2000 New York
Long Island (Peconic) ($15)

The way things have been going lately, I should probably just classify my blog as "wines not to buy." I don't like writing negative criticisms and I try to avoid passing sweeping judgments of a winery based on a single bottle. In this case I feel I should write something because I believe that people do make judgments of Long Island wines by the wine they can get their hands, which in most cases, is Pindar. Oh, and yeah, my girlfriend called me out on the subject with her last comment here. She gave me a lot of shite about bringing home an undrinkable wine with her hard earned $10.

Pindar Vineyards has a huge selection of wine. You can buy their wines on national online wine stores. If a local liquor store has one Long Island vineyard from which to choose, it's usually Pindar. I've visited the winery a few times and can't complain about their free tasting practices. It has the largest tasting area of any I have been to. When my girlfriend and I have been there, we are usually shoulder to shoulder with people who act they're on a frat party field trip. Anyway, the last time we were there, it was loud. Many high fives were given. I think I almost saw a couple cat fights break out -- seriously. We brought a friend that we know from our days at "The U" (of Miami) that was more interested in the pouring chick's low cut jeans, which left nothing to the imagination, than the wine. Needless to say we had polished off a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc ( yum! ) at Osprey's Dominion and biked ourselves from winery to winery already.

So. I had several of their reds and came to a conclusion that they all had this certain taste that identified them as Pindar. It's hard to pinpoint, but there was something that bled into each of the wines I tasted. The one I enjoyed the most was a non-vintage red blend called Pythagoras, a blend of Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. It's low in tannins and seems to have a complexity that I do not expect in a medium to light bodied non-vintage blend. I found the Pythagoras for $10 at my "take fifty steps and make a right for fifteen more steps" NYC liquor store and was pleased with the price to enjoyment ratio.

The other night I went back to the same store with a $10 purchase on the mind. Turns out they had a Pindar Cabernet Franc 2000 for the same price. It lists for $15, so I thought that if it tasted half as good as other L.I. Cab Francs I've had, it would be well worth it. Surprise surprise.. I was wrong. It was turned. Poured it down the drain and opened a bottle from the cellar. It could be that the 2000 just can't be expected to age gracefully. Maybe the liquor store's storage methods leave something to be desired. Maybe it's just a bad wine, but I doubt it. Chances are you've already visited Lenn's Long Island vines, wines, and dines blog, but if not, go there forthwith to open your mind to the best L.I. has to offer.

Since I keep trying wines I've never had, I often take a chance and skip the wine I know I will enjoy. I guess it's just the risk I take for science. Not only that, my garage sale mentality of "hey, this bottle is only half its retail price" is not fit for the wine store. As I write this I am drinking a Red Hook ESB beer. At $1 a bottle it's so satisfying. Next week Astor Wines has a 25% off sale on Italian, German, French, Austrian and Greek wines. I am going to help them clear out some wines for their new store that opens next month. Any suggestions?

What's this Chatter about?

Chatter Creek Cabernet Franc 2001
Washington State, Alder Ridge Vineyard ($18)

My Cabernet Franc problem has taken me to another corner of this great land we call America. I haven't been trying the California Francs because of their high alcohol content and I just don't want a Franc that is as big as a Cab Sav. I picked this one up in western NY at Premier Liquors which has a huge selection for those Buffalo Bill loving, chicken wing eating, all around good folk up there. I'm sure I'm the only dork that gets excited about a Washington State Cab Franc in that area.

Aromas of tea and green vegetables. Palate struggled to show ripe fruit, but a hint of plum and some blackberries peeked around the licorice and cocoa flavor. The finish was uneventful and bland. Was very similar to the Arizona Ice Tea with plum and ginseg. Too bad I didn't pay the $1.50 for an ice tea instead of the $18 for this bottle. Turns out my love of Cabernet Franc may be not so unconditional. The ones with Long Island accents seem to be the most enjoyable so far, along with the one Friulian bottle I've had. My grade: C+