North American Cab Franc?

Well made, varietally correct, and a pleasure to drink. There is also a reserve version that sees more time in barrel. Mark Friszolowski, ex-Pindar (Long Island, NY) is the winemaker.

Well made, varietally correct, and a pleasure to drink. There is also a reserve version that sees more time in barrel. Mark Friszolowski, ex-Pindar (Long Island, NY) is the winemaker.

And it goes really, really fast, too!

IMO Long Island is the most successful region for cabernet franc in North America. Schneider, Gristina, and Paumanok are some of my favorites.

Long Island isn't a bad bet, but I doubt the OP would have access to these wines due to their limitied distribution. To your list I might add Pellegrini and take away Gristina, which I believe became Gallucio Vineyards and then folded.

A similar situation exists in the Finger Lakes, where there are some decent Cab Francs made but spotty distribution. Of the recent bottles that I have tasted I'd say Hosmer, Lamoreaux Landing, Shalestone, Red Newt, Damiani and Dr. Frank are doing good work with that grape.

So long as we're talking about FL Cab Francs, you can add Fox Run to the list.

lets face it....not a stand alone varietal...blending grape is its destiny...
M

Try Olga Raffault's '89 'Les Picasses' and see if you can stand by that statement. In the Loire, at least, CF seems to do just fine as a monocepage.

Mark Lipton

For what it's worth, while I am a fan of the Olga Raffault wines, they do tend to be rustic/lean/elegant in comparison to other fruit-driven/more robust Loire producers and therefore are not always the best wines to convince skeptics that cabernet franc should be vinified on its own, especially when those skeptics are afraid of herbaceous flavors.

lets face it....not a stand alone varietal...blending grape is its destiny...
M

Try Olga Raffault's '89 'Les Picasses' and see if you can stand by that statement. In the Loire, at least, CF seems to do just fine as a monocepage.

Mark Lipton

For what it's worth, while I am a fan of the Olga Raffault wines, they do tend to be rustic/lean/elegant in comparison to other fruit-driven/more robust Loire producers and therefore are not always the best wines to convince skeptics that cabernet franc should be vinified on its own, especially when those skeptics are afraid of herbaceous flavors.

True 'nuff, and I was just being a bit ornery, but that '89 is from a hot year and is one big wine, especially as you note for a producer not noted for big wines. It's still a youngster, but the quality of the wine is quite evident.

Mark Lipton

OK, just found this on Olga.....>

http://www.thewinedoctor.com/loire/olgaraffault.shtml