WCC Cabernet Franc from Around the World
Yono's Restaurant, Albany, NY, 10/24/2024


My local group got together to taste Cabernet Franc at Yono's. Chef Ian O'Leary once again knocked it out of the park with some original and inspired dishes that were so delicious and beautifully matched to the wines.

Three members of the group brought all the wines except one. The tasting was blind to everyone but the three organizers and me (though at my age, I easily forget which is which). Dinner started at 7pm and lasted till about 10pm.

Click on any image with a border for a larger view of that image, and in some cases more image.


Amuse Bouche of Goat cheese & raspberry stuffed Peppadew.
This was delicious, but there was enough spice to fight the wines.


Flight 1: The Loire (all 100% Cabernet Franc).
Roasted Faroe Island Salmon, chiffonade cabbages, winter vegetables, pomegranate, and cranberry vinaigrette.
Wow! Perfect salmon with the crispy skin. The cabbage was like a sophisticated slaw.
The zesty dressing was perfectly in balance with the rest of the dish.
  1. 2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
    [Double-decanted around 5:30pm.] Lovely bright red fruit nose. Very dry on the palate. Long finish of raspberries. (93 points)
  2. 2009 Château de la Bonneliere Touraine Ante Phylloxera Clos de Maulevrier - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
    [Double-decanted around 5:30pm.] A similar, bright red fruit nose. Lovely, bright cherries and raspberries. Not long as 1.1. (2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée) (92 points)
  3. 2009 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
    [Double-decanted for two hours around 4pm.] Muted nose of red fruits and spice. This is the first wine tonight with a noticeable green streak. Still, appealing. (92 points)
  4. 2002 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Les Perrières - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
    [Double-decanted around 6pm.] Black and red fruit nose. Long, complex, bright red fruit. Elegant, but surprisingly tannic. Seems to me that it actually needs more time. (92–?? points)
    5. Note that the 2nd and 4th wines are reversed in these photos.

Chef and Culinary Director Ian O'Leary comes out to tell us about the dishes:


Flight 2: All New York State Wines.
Braised Lamb cheek vol-au-vent with baby arugula.
This was a killer dish. So rich and delicious. The pastry added crunch, and the arugula added spice. Wow!
  1. 2007 Shinn Estate Vineyards Cabernet Franc - USA, New York, Long Island, North Fork
    [Double-decanted for a half hour around 5:30pm.] Smoky red fruit nose jumps from the glass. Rich, complex. Long complex finish with red and black fruit. Group WOTN. (94 points)
  2. 2007 Shinn Estate Vineyards Wild Boar Doe - USA, New York, Long Island, North Fork
    [Double-decanted for a half hour around 5:30pm.] Rich, ripe, intense red fruit with acidity. Long red and black fruit on the finish. Could this possibly continue to improve? Wow! (93 points)
  3. 2020 Red Tail Ridge Winery Cabernet Franc RTR Estate Vineyard - USA, New York, Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake
    [Open for about one hour before we poured it.] Gorgeous, rich, red fruit nose. Very long and quite complex. Wow! My #1. Group #3. (95 points)
  4. 2021 Millbrook Cabernet Franc Proprietor's Special Reserve - USA, New York, Hudson River
    [Open for about one hour before we poured it.] Black fruit nose. Lots of fruit and ripe tannins. Not sure where it's going but it's a nice drink now. (88 points)

Flight 3: California and Tuscany.
Roasted Maple Leaf Farm duck breast, braised lentils, roasted eggplant, crispy mushrooms, and sorrel.
Delicious. I've never had better duck breast.
  1. 2014 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc - USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma
    [Double-decanted around 11:30am.] Huge intense nose. Massive in the mouth. So thick and overdone. Maybe it's just bad placement after the first two flights, but I did not find this drinkable tonight.
  2. 2017 [Sean] Larkin Cabernet Franc - USA, California, Napa Valley
    [Double-decanted around 11am.] Another huge red fruit nose. Very tannic and ripe, with bright red fruit. If I owned this, I would give it at least another 5 years to see if it comes together and mellows a bit. (88–92 points)
  3. 2017 Daou Vineyards Cabernet Franc Estate - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Adelaida District
    [Double-decanted around 10:30am.] Big smoky nose. More balanced and harmonious than the previous two. (92 points)
  4. 2019 Aia Vecchia Orleto Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
    [Double-decanted around 10am.] Bright red fruit nose. This is the most balanced and elegant of this flight. Perceptible as Cabernet Franc. (92 points)

Flight 4: Two Big Young Wines.
Selection of Local Cheeses: Pink Peppercorn Raclette de Compton,
East Hill Creamery Silver Lake Reserve, Jasper Hill Farm Hazen Blue.
  1. 2017 La Jota Cabernet Franc - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
    [Double-decanted for one hour around 5pm.] Nose of alcohol like a young port. Tannic black fruit. High alcohol. The cheese brings out the new oak. Not for me. (70 points)
  2. 2017 Château Le Dôme - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. émilion Grand Cru
    [Double-decanted for one hour around 5pm.] Muted red fruit nose. Very young but has a sense of balance and elegance. Rich and powerful. Loads of potential. (93–95 points)

Conclusion

I have very little experience with Cab Franc as a primary grape, so this tasting was very interesting and instructive to me. Flight (of all New York state wines) was my favorite and the favorite of the group as a whole. I think some of that was the Goldilocks effect: The first flight was relatively light and elegant. The 3rd and 4th flights were huge. So Flight 2 seemed "just right". I would happily drink any of the wines from Flights 1 and 2, and about half from 3 and 4.

Chef Ian O'Leary is amazing. This was some of the best food I've ever had, and each one well-matched to the wines. I understand that Ian spends most of his time now down at Day Line Oyster Bar + Kitchen. We were honored that he came up to Yono's to cook for us again.

My notes posted from CellarTracker.

Here are Salil's notes. He is a big fan of Cabernet Franc and I am a novice. Our reactions to many of the wines are quite different.


WOTN Voting (3pts each for #1, 2pts for #2, 1pt for #3)

RankPts#Wine
1162.12007 Shinn Estate Cabernet Franc
293.32017 Daou Vineyards Cabernet Franc Estate
372.32020 Red Tail Ridge Cabernet Franc RTR Estate Vyd.
4(tie)52.22007 Shinn Estate Vineyards Wild Boar Doe
4(tie)54.22017 Château Le Dôme
633.22017 Larkin Cabernet Franc
714.12017 La Jota Cabernet Franc


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All original content © Ken Vastola