Winemaker Notes
The two-and-a-half-acre block of Cabernet Franc we source for this wine is amongst our ripest picks each vintage. This additional development yields bold tannins up front and rounds out a dark fruit profile with notes of earth, black pepper, and tobacco leaf.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Fragrant and elegant with a lot of high-toned, red-berry fruit and already a touch of tobacco leaf. From vines planted in 2004. Impressive structure, but there’s nothing whatsoever dominant about that. Just a hint of spicy oak, but it’s beautifully married to the fine tannins.
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Vinous
The 2020 Cabernet Franc Magdalena Vineyard is more pyrazine-forward on the nose than the 2022 tasted alongside. A consistent, even-ripening season allowed the varietal character to shine. Sweet black cherry, bell pepper, cocoa and lavender unfold in the glass as chewy tannins and bright, blood-orange-like acids settle in. There’s really appealing weight here, and impeccable balance, to boot.
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.