Roanoke Vineyards 2006 Gabby’s Cabernet Franc
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief
During the winter of 2006, Rich Pisacano, veteran grape grower and co-owner of Roanoke Vineyards, had a disagreement with his father Gabby, also a long-time grape grower. The source of the dispute? Employing a more manually intensive, hands-on approach in the vineyard.
"At the time, he (Gabby) was not entirely convinced that such differences in the process could have such a profound effect on the finished wine. He suggested taking a portion of the vineyard to do exactly what an extreme protocol asked of him to see what would happen," Rich told me in an email.
That was when "Gabby's Rows" became official.
If you've been to Roanoke Vineyards, you've seen Gabby's Rows. They are the 12 eastern-most rows right behind the tasting room, just off the patio. And there's a good chance that you saw Gabby tending those vines.
He's out there a lot. He has to be — the protocol is much more intensive and time-consuming than what is done in the rest of the vineyard.
And Gabby is the only one allowed in the block. So if it's going to be done, he's going to do it.
Throughout the growing season, he thinned the canopy and dropped fruit multiple times. When anything had to be done in the vineyard, it was done immediately — by Gabby — not a day or two before or after they needed to be to accommodate vineyard crew schedules.
Yields were intentionally reduced. Grapes that "looked perfect but did not taste intense" were dropped to the ground. At harvest, Gabby's Rows yieleded 2 tons/acre rather than the nearly 3 tons/acre for the rest of the cabernet franc.
Those two tons per acre also hung in the vineyard longer than the norm. The extra hang time, plus lower yields, led to 23.2 brix versus 22.6 for the non-Gabby franc (which I reviewed back in May.)
This was intense, hands-on viticulture. "The time and effort Gabby spent in those 12 rows would be cost prohibitive for us to repeat in the rest of the vineyard," Rich said, adding "I always believed that fine wine needs to be made with the absence of imperfect fruit and without varying levels of ripeness. The fruit that went into Gabby’s Cabernet Franc was simply absent of imperfection," he said.
After tasting this wine, it's hard to argue that the hard work Gabby put in wasn't worth it.
The Gabby's 2006 is a standout for its finesse and elegant intensity.
The nose is spicy and complex, showing layers of sweet black cherry and blackberry with subtle but distinct earthiness, high-toned floral notes, a bit of chocolate and a sweet mint-menthol note.
Pretty and silky on the medium-bodied palate, plum and red cherry lead the flavor parade followed closely by earthy fall leaves, sage, basil, mint and beautiful layers of spice. The finish is long and that subtle chocolate note shows up right towards the end.
The tannins are ripe and mature, bringing structure without astringency. A charming, resplendent wine with a story to match.
The 2006 is sold out, but the plan is to released the 2007 Gabby's Cabernet Franc on September 25, when Gabby himself will turn 80.
Grape(s): 92% cab franc, 8% merlot
Producer: Roanoke Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
ABV: 13.2%
Price: $38* (Sold out)
Rating:
(4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive
)
I have one bottle of this. The deal is this; it will be opened and consumed upon the birth of my first born, which will be around July 21.
The acclaim and praise that this wine has received is noted in the Gorton Home, and my wife, Melissa has insisted and I promised, that I would not open until that day.
Furthermore, Gabriel, if its a boy, is a name that Melissa and I are considering, though it has nothing to do with the wine!
A coincidence or something that is meant to be…we will all find out together.
In the meantime, I look forward to September 25 just as much as July 21!
I love a good Cab Franc! This one sounds exceptional!
Outstanding story - nice to see the results are clear. Wines with this kind of story are right in my wheelhouse. We’ll be seeking it out.
As much as I love the story, I don’t love the label. Gabby looks like FDR and it doesn’t work for me. But to each their own!
How many cases were made of this wine?
If anyone has an extra bottle they can send it to my house where it will be consumed forthwith.
Did some of grapes from this block make it into any other blends?
Any idea of the drinking window on this wine? Mine are currently in the cellar.
A couple thoughts. Great job on this article. Glad you enjoyed this wine as much as I did! I n short, I think this is one of the best bottles to come out of LI in years and this should be the standard for Cab Franc in the region. I am lucky enough to have 4 bottles left. One of them I am definitely holding until I get the 2007, 2008, etc. versions to compare.
I thought 2006 was an uneven year on LI, but here is another excellent bottle from LI by a quality producer.
As far as the label, I think the photo may not be doing it justice. Maybe Gabby really does look like FDR (I wouldn’t know!).
The only problem that I have with the packaging is that the glass bottle was so dark that I could not see how much wine was left, and I was unpleasantly surprised that this bottle was empty.
Bryan: I’m not sure what production was but not more than 150 cases I wouldn’t think.
Dan: I’ll bet you have 5-7 years more on it, but I won’t claim to be a drinking window expert.
Steve: Funny that you mention the bottle itself. I know that starting with the 2007 edition of this wine, they’ve moved to a more-standard bottle (like what they put the blends in).
Yes I caught that bottle change.
Don’t get me wrong, I have posted here in the past how much I love the Roanoke packaging, especially the heavy glass on the bottle. But I found myself holding up this bottle to the light, putting on my reading glasses to try to see how much was left and I couldn’t.
So I just keep pouring.