Domaine LeSeurre Barrel Select Cabernet Franc 2018
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Wilfred
Wong
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100% Finger Lakes terroir selection from three different vineyard sites. 100% Cabernet Franc aged 22 months in French oak barrels.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Domaine LeSeurre Barrel Select Cabernet Franc is ripe, varietally correct, and smooth on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine excels with aromas and flavors of ripe fruits, dried herbs, and a hint of pencil lead. Serve it with a rosemary and garlic-infused roast leg of lamb. (Tasted: December 7, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
When Céline and Sébastien LeSeurre opened their doors at Domaine LeSeurre Winery on 13th of October 2013, it was another step in a long and interesting voyage that started in France. Sébastien was raised in the Champagne region (northeast France), where his family had been growing grapes and making wine for 6 generations. After studying viticulture and oenology for 6 years in Champagne and wine and spirits sales and marketing in Reims for a year, he began his world travels. Céline was born in the Toulouse region (southwest France), and grew up around her grandparents' vineyard located in the foothills of the Pyrénées. From 2002 until 2005, she took sommelier classes and graduated with a Degree in Hospitality and Tourism from Taylor’s College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Between the two of them, Céline and Sébastien have worked on 23 vintages in various regions of France, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Their approach to winemaking is to use a mix of old world traditions and new world techniques to bring out the fullest expression of the Finger Lakes terroir that is possible. Since they know good wine starts in the vineyard, they travel extensively around the region looking for the best Terroirs and grapes, and they stay close to the vineyards during the growing season. As harvest approaches, they taste regularly—every two or three days—and it is taste and taste alone that guides their picking decisions. They do not rely on measuring brix or PH as most winemakers do, they use their experience and in depth knowledge to craft these special wines that showcase their unique terroir.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
As the most historic wine-producing region in New York state, winemaking in the Finger Lakes area dates back to the 1820s and today as a region, accounts for 90% of the state’s total wine production.
Its narrow and deep lakes created by the movement of Ice Age glaciers create an environment similar to the classic Riesling-loving regions of Europe, namely Germany and Austria. The Finger Lakes retain summer heat that incidentally warms up cold winter air, making it fall down from the lakes’ steep slopes. When spring comes, the lakes, already cooled by cold winter weather, stave off vine budding until the danger of frost has subsided. The main lakes of the zone, that is those big enough to moderate the climate in this way, are the focal points of prime vineyard areas. They include Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga.
While Riesling has fueled most of the region’s success, today Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc enjoy some attention.