Winemaker Notes
The single-vineyard iteration of Hermann J. Wiemer's pillar red variety, Cabernet Franc, with more weight and structure than their traditional version. This fruit hails from a two-and-a-half-acre block within our Magdalena Vineyard- a warmer site which produces fruit that is amongst their ripest picks in each vintage. This additional development yields bold tannins up front which advance into red fruit transitioning to purple; black cherries, red plums, holiday seasoned cranberries. Texture, depth, and freshness are found in green flavors and garden soil earthiness, thanks to the rain of the earlier part of the '22 vintage. A drier and hotter fall is to thank for the counterbalancing fruit and composition.
Upon release, this Cab Franc has youthful muscularity to it, and has been destined to cellar beautifully.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Pristine red-berry, cedar and sandalwood aromas follow through to a medium body with juicy tannins and savory fruit. Toasted-oak character gives a smoky undertone. Solid and exciting. Drinking well now but will improve with age.
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Wine Enthusiast
All the hallmarks of well-made Finger Lakes Cab Franc are here: dried herbs and ground pepper spice woven between raspberry and cherry fruit. It shows lovely ripeness and concentration. There's a silky texture and intensity on the palate. The savory, herb-flecked tannins call for a plate of fatty cured meats or barbecue. A stellar effort.
Editors' Choice -
Vinous
The 2022 Cabernet Franc Magdalena Vineyard comes from a single block of the Magdalena Vineyard and includes about 35% whole cluster, done in a combination of French and Hungarian oak. The aromatic expressiveness here is a cut above, with a complex array of berry fruit, resinous herbs, black olive, black tea and sweet pipe tobacco. The palate is bright and almost carbonic in nature, but the oak and skin tannins are a little drying toward the finish. Perhaps they will soften and integrate in time, but this is hard to resist because it smells and tastes so good. Give it another year or two.
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.