Drink This: Trestle Thirty One 2021 Cabernet Franc
Earthy and elegant, this cabernet franc is just one of the myriad styles you'll find in the Finger Lakes
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Steer clear of anyone who tells you they don’t like Finger Lakes cabernet franc. They may not be ignorant or stupid, but you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life. Nor do you need people so willing to write off an entire category that is so varied and — in all but the worst vintages — typically delicious.
East Coast cabernet franc is generally difficult to define and pint down as a category, but it feels like the Finger Lakes has more stylistic variety in a relatively small geographic area than other eastern regions.
Trestle Thirty One 2021 Cabernet Franc ($58*) sort of fits into the cabernet-franc-as-pinot-noir camp of Finger Lakes cab franc. It may help define that style. I don’t love using terms like “Burgundian” to describe wines not made in Burgundy, but I think it fits here.
Aged for 18 months in French okay (20% new), it smells a bit more mature than many of the wines I’ve been tasting, with earthy autumn leaf, subtle spice, and dried floral aromas mingling with a core of cherry — fresh and dried — fruit character.
That same combination of fruit — mainly red berries —with earthy, savory layers is shows up on a medium-to-fuller-bodied palate with well-integrated tannins that leave it feeling supple and balanced. There is a hint of overt oak flavor, but it blends well with the secondary and tertiary flavors and doesn’t jut out. The finish is long, with great balance and floral-dried fruit flavors accented by a subtle earthiness.
Though not priced for daily drinking (not by me, anyway) this is a well-made, important example of what Finger Lakes cabernet franc can be — even in down vintages.
Trestle Thirty One 2021 Cabernet Franc
Region: Finger Lakes AVA (New York)
ABV: 14%
RS: 0 g/L
TA: 5.8 g/L
pH: 4.09
Rating: 90 pts
Price: $58* (Available Here)
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*sample provided by winery