Cabernet Franc, A Favourite Grape In Long Island And The Finger Lakes, 3 Winemakers Explain Why

Cabernet franc is rising in reputation. It appeals to many wine customers at this time who’re in search of vibrant acidity and agency tannins and, on the identical time, a sure lightness and easy-drinking character. The wine areas of New York have adopted the grape, which has confirmed to thrive right here. We now have tasted cabernet franc wines from the Finger Lakes and Lengthy Island and talked to 3 winemakers about their work and visions.

Christopher Bates at Factor Vineyard, Finger Lakes

Christopher Bates is the proprietor of Factor Vineyard and likewise the winemaker. He grew up right here and got here again after exploring the world of wine as a sommelier and a chef. Christopher additionally labored as a winemaker in Italy and the Mosel Valley in Germany. He began Factor Vineyard in 2007, and he hasn’t stopped pushing the Finger Lakes since.

When he began, he says, the overall feeling was that the area Finger Lakes has a restrict. “Now we’re extra assured. We don’t make 15 % alcohol wines. This can be a place for traditional, old-school wines that I hope may have the power to age.”

Christopher buys grapes from completely different soil varieties and completely different grape growers. Harvest is by hand. For the fermentation, he works with the pure yeast and provides no enzymes.

His wines sometimes have an alcohol degree of round 11 %. That is true for his Cabernet Franc 2014, Factor Vineyard, Finger Lakes. It’s mild and crisp in model, with excessive, refreshing acidity, dried fruit, some tannins within the end. It’s balanced and chic.

This wine spent 29 months in oak and one other 24 months in bottle earlier than Christopher felt it was prepared for launch. 2014 was an excellent however troublesome classic. “We now have big classic variations”, he says, “however we attempt to be good additionally in difficult vintages”.

Aside from cabernet franc, he thinks that chardonnay has good potential within the Finger Lakes. He additionally likes cabernet sauvignon, the old school Californian model from the Nineteen Sixties – “we will try this right here!”.

Lilia Perez at RGNY, Lengthy Island

Lilia Perez has been answerable for the wine manufacturing at RGNY in Lengthy Island since 2018. She began out selling wine in Mexico however moved to the manufacturing aspect and went to Bordeaux to check winemaking. She educated at well-known châteaux reminiscent of Brane Cantenac in Margaux and Franc Mayne in Saint Emilion.

RGNY has 100 acres of vines and 14 completely different grapes varieties. “We’re near Riverhead”, says Lilia, “and our crimson grapes ripen correctly. We work with Vitis vinifera; it’s uncommon with hybrids in Lengthy Island. However we do have illness stress due to the humidity.”

Cabernet franc is doing nicely right here. The wine from Lilia that we tasted is proof of that. Cabernet Franc 2019, RGNY, North Fork Lengthy Island is mild and easy-drinking, very recent with intense fruity and spicy aromas, some natural notes typical of the grape. It’s a balanced wine, refreshing, and though easy-drinking, it’s complicated.

“We promote 60 % of our grapes and use 40 % for our personal wines”, says Lilia. She retains the cabernet franc grapes to make small volumes of wines. To cut back the danger of fungus illnesses, she does cluster thinning. She picks when she has the very best stability between sugar and acidity. Dangerous grapes bunches are eliminated on a sorting desk, and the bunches are then destemmed. The maceration interval is sort of lengthy. After urgent the grapes, the wine goes to oak barrels for ten months, 45 % new oak, the remainder in impartial oak.

She additionally has one other favorite grape, and it’s sauvignon blanc. “You are able to do many issues with sauvignon blanc, wild ferment it, mix it with semillon; it provides us good high quality yearly.”

Josh Wig at Lamoreaux Touchdown, Finger Lakes

Josh Wig is co-owner and winemaker at Lamoreaux Touchdown in Finger Lakes. Lamoureaux Touchdown is on the jap hillside of Seneca Lake with western publicity. Riesling, chardonnay and cabernet franc are a very powerful grapes. “As a wine area, we’re very younger and humble, and we’ve got loads to be taught”, says Josh. He thinks cabernet franc might be in focus for the subsequent 30 years.

“Finger Lakes have eleven lakes, all of them distinctive”, he continues. “We wouldn’t be right here with out the lakes. In the course of the day, we’ve got excessive temperatures; at night time, it goes right down to 50 levels F. The vines lock within the acidity and cease maturing; that is essential.”

Cabernet franc is a vital grape for him and the area, he says. “It’s expressive, and it’s cold-resistant; we nearly don’t have any worries. Checking the acidity is significant when deciding the harvest date. We now have a fairly large harvesting window in our local weather, however it’s important to decide earlier than you lose acidity.”

“To be sustainable is necessary”, Josh factors out. He thinks natural is feasible however not advisable. “Natural doesn’t all the time imply higher. Sustainable means you’ll be right here 60-80 years from now. You must do it proper, or you may be out of enterprise. We might be higher off in the long term [being sustainable]. It’s higher for the surroundings and higher for the grapes.”

One instance of Lamoreaux Touchdown’s dedication to sustainability is their photo voltaic power set up which supplies 100 % of their electrical power wants.

T23 Cabernet Franc 2020, Lamoreaux Touchdown, Finger Lakes, has a floral character and likewise ripe fruit and scrumptious, appetizing acidity. The tannins are there however within the background. Though younger, it is extremely drinkable now.

We imagine in the way forward for cabernet franc in New York.

—Britt Karlsson