Drink This: Anthony Road Wine Company 2022 Cabernet Franc
A wine of near-perfect flavor balance, varietal correctness,v and value.
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My goal is always to be truthful, not neutral, in my writing. It gets me into trouble from time to time — like last year when I repeatedly steered my readers away from most 2021 wines from the Finger Lakes, which led to one Finger Lakes promo group no longer coordinating wine samples for me from its membership.
I stand by everything I said about every individual 2021 I tasted last year and even some of my broader proclamations about 2021 Finger Lakes cabernet franc. Most of those wines weren’t very good. Many were undrinkable.
However, 2022s from the Finger Lakes are a completely different story. Almost every example I’ve tasted this month has been at least good, and some are better than that.
Anthony Road Wine Company 2022 Cabernet Franc ($28*) stood out in a recent tasting for its purity, varietal characteristics, and balance.
The nose opens with fresh cherries and lightly spiced cherry compote aromas, with red raspberry and savory dried herbs at the edges and a light sprinkle of cracked black pepper. That same cherry-spice-herb combination continues on a medium-bodied palate with good concentration and ripeness. A combination of fresh acidity and gently grippy skin tannins bring focus and structure, leading to a long, dry finish that is a bit earthy.
This is a cabernet franc that shows a near-perfect balance between the fruity, the savory, and the earthy. It’s what I like best about the grape in the East. And, in a world where many of the New York cabernet franc-based wines worth drinking are $30+, this one is a good value at $28, too.
Anthony Road Wine Company 2022 Cabernet Franc
Region: Seneca Lake AVA (New York)
ABV: 13.3%
Production: 345 cases
Winemaking: Aged 12 months in neutral French oak
Rating: 91 pts
Price: $28* (2022 not yet released)
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*sample submitted by winery