By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief
In 2007, Dave Whiting, winemaker and co-owner of Red Newt Cellars made two single-vineyard cabernet francs, one from Sawmill Creek Vineyards and this Red Newt Cellars 2007 Glacier Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Franc ($39).
The two wines are quite different — particularly in the way in which the oak reveals itself.
Smoky and decidedly more vanilla-tinged, this wine's nose also shows wonderful, lush blackberry, plum, bittersweet chocolate and subtle rosemary herbal accents.
Impressively hefty a rich on the palate, fruit flavors of plum and blackberry are masked a bit by the smoke, oak and vanilla flavors. With a little time in the glass, a dusty cocoa powder note emerges along with an intriguing earthy, roasted beet note. The subtle herbaceous note from the nose doesn't carry over to the palate at all.
The finish is long and a bit minerally before the oak reminds you of its presence again.
I prefer the Sawmill Creek bottling a bit more, mostly because it delivers more of what I expect from cabernet franc, but there is a lot to like here too.
Producer: Red Newt Cellars
AVA: Finger
Lakes
ABV: 13.7%
Brix: 23.8
RS: .4%
TA: 7 g/l
pH: 3.6
Production: 120 cases
Price: $39*
Rating:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)