10 New York Cabernet Francs to Find Right Now

I’ve always been suspicious of the “signature grape” theory, the idea that each wine area should call to mind a particular grape, as Argentina does malbec. It’s always smacked more of marketing than of common sense. While simplicity is good for selling things, it doesn’t necessarily benefit consumers or the wine.

But sometimes years of experience demonstrate that certain grapes are far and away better matches for a particular terroir than other varieties. It’s difficult to deny the evidence.

In many historical wine regions, these signature grapes have been codified under appellation rules: red Burgundy must be made of pinot noir, Chablis of chardonnay, Hermitage of syrah, Barolo of nebbiolo and so on.

These all have the force of history behind them and make logical sense. But not so many years ago, Chile, looking at the success of Argentina with malbec, tried to create its own signature grape, carmenère. Few bought the idea or the wine. Not only was the marketing impetus too transparent, but the evidence of excellent Chilean wine made from a host of other grapes was difficult to ignore.

All this brings me to the question of New York State cabernet franc. Is it the state’s signature grape? Some people would like to think so. There’s no doubt that New York makes terrific cabernet franc wines. On a recent foray through New York shops, I found these 10 bottles, six from the Finger Lakes, four from Long Island, that I recommend enthusiastically.

But signature grape? Is it really necessary to be so declarative? The Finger Lakes makes possibly the best American rieslings. I’ve also had superb pinot noirs and chardonnays. Why not simply say, the Finger Lakes is a great place to make wine. Its potential has only begun to be explored.

And Long Island? Who knows. Shinn Estate made great merlots. Schneider Vineyards made great cabernet francs. Southport Farm & Cellar made great teroldegos, blaufränkischs and lagreins. For various unrelated reasons, none of these producers is still making wine on Long Island. But, like the Finger Lakes, Long Island is full of potential yet to be fully explored.

Let’s slow the signature grape talk while acknowledging that New York makes great cabernet francs. Those from the Finger Lakes are particularly distinctive. They are true cool-climate wines, and the cab francs are generally floral and red-fruited. Only rarely do they hit 13 percent alcohol.

The cab francs from Long Island are usually a little bigger and more darkly flavored. They’re certainly not jammy monsters, but the difference with the Finger Lakes wines is often apparent. Though not always. The Channing Daughters cab franc, from Long Island, shows a lot of those cool climate characteristics.

Whether Long Island or the Finger Lakes, you would not mistake these for California cabernet francs, or those from the Loire or Bordeaux. They are New York’s own, and just some of the excellent wines made in the state.

These 10 bottles are all worth drinking, and they are not the only ones to seek out. Plenty of other superb cabernet francs are produced in both the Finger Lakes and Long Island, and most of these 10 producers make terrific wines other than cabernet franc. Exploring good wine shops and finding your own favorites is part of the fun.

Here are the 10 bottles, from least to most expensive.

Onabay Vineyards North Fork of Long Island Cabernet Franc Côt-Fermented 2021, 13.1 percent, $22

This is a classically structured cabernet franc, inspired by those from the Loire Valley and fermented with a little malbec, or côt, as it’s known in the Loire (pronounced “coe,” hence the pun, côt-fermented). It’s juicy and focused with earthy flavors of dark fruits and licorice. Speaking of wordplay, Onabay is actually on Peconic Bay, in between the forks of Long Island.

Eminence Road Farm Winery Finger Lakes Lamb’s Quarters Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2023, 11.3 percent, $24

Eminence Road makes small lots of wines from grapes grown in Finger Lakes vineyards. This bottle demonstrates the lively, easygoing side of cabernet franc, with light herbal aromas, lively acidity and bright flavors of red fruit. I would serve this lightly chilled.

Hermann J. Wiemer Seneca Lake Cabernet Franc 2021, 12.5 percent, $25

For nearly 20 years, the ownership team of Fred Merwarth and Oskar Bynke has methodically improved every aspect of farming and winemaking at Hermann J. Wiemer, transforming the venerable Finger Lakes winery into a progressive leader. This cabernet franc, made from biodynamically farmed grapes, shows the benefits of their work. It’s fragrant, complex, pure and focused, enjoyable now though it will evolve over the next decade. It’s also a superb value.

Lieb Cellars North Fork of Long Island Cabernet Franc 2021, 12.8 percent, $26

Lieb Cellars is one of the more undersung wineries on Long Island. I’ve always found its pinot blancs and sparkling wines to be excellent — restrained rather than flamboyant, and simply delicious. The same is true of the cabernet franc. It’s made along classic Bordeaux lines, structured yet unobtrusively so, with understated earthy fruit flavors that come together to form a quiet whole.

Channing Daughters North Fork of Long Island Cabernet Franc 2019, 11.8 percent, $27

Channing Daughters is one of the quirkier Long Island wineries. It makes an enormous number of wines from a lot of different grapes, and it’s hard to keep track year to year what’s coming. But the constant surprises are part of the fun. By comparison to some of their cuvées, this 2019 cabernet franc is relatively straightforward. It’s made with a light touch, relying on acidity rather than tannins for structure. It’s energetic, floral and will go with a wide variety of dishes.

Bloomer Creek Finger Lakes White Horse Red 2020, 12.7 percent, $28

I’ve long been a fan of Kim and Debra Engle of Bloomer Creek, who make natural-leaning, idiosyncratic, always distinctive wines that surprise and delight. I particularly enjoy White Horse Red, their homage to Cheval Blanc, the great Bordeaux. White Horse is, like Cheval Blanc, a blend of mostly cabernet franc with some merlot. The 2020 is a bit rustic, with chewy tannins, but the floral, red fruit flavors are clear, lively and a little eccentric, Bloomer Creek-style.

Red Tail Ridge Finger Lakes Earl’s Place Cabernet Franc 2021, 12.8 percent, $29

Red Tail Ridge is run by a husband-and-wife team: Nancy Irelan, who handles the winemaking, and Michael Schnelle, who oversees the farming. They are exploratory, making excellent wines with grapes like blaufränkisch, teroldego and lagrein. They also make reliably delicious versions of the more conventional Finger Lakes grapes. This cabernet franc is impeccably balanced, gently tannic, with earthy flavors of red fruits.

Paumanok North Fork of Long Island Cabernet Franc 2021, 13 percent, $32

Paumanok was founded in 1983, which makes it a relative old-timer on Long Island. Kareem Massoud is the second-generation winemaker, having learned from his father, Charles Massoud, and he works with his brothers, Salim and Nabeel. The wines are consistently good. The dark fruit and touch of licorice are similar to the Onabay, but the Paumanok has an added bright quality that gives it a bit more complexity.

Nathan K. Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc 2021, 12 percent, $34

This is an exceptional cool-climate cabernet franc — well balanced and intense yet rather light-bodied and transparent, with precise, focused earthy fruit flavors and fine tannins. Nathan Kendall is a talented producer, and his wines seem to get better and better every year.

Barbichette Seneca Lake Cabernet Franc 2022, 12 percent, $38

This is a lovely wine of the zero-zero sort, nothing added, nothing taken away in the winemaking process. It’s light-bodied, lightly tannic and complex — floral, earthy, stony with a light bitterness that is refreshing. Barbichette is a two-person operation, César Vega and Louisiane Remy, who also own a coffee roastery in Brooklyn, Café Integral. They say they are inspired by the parallels between wine and coffee.

Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.