Wine of the Week: Millbrook Vineyards & Winery 2025 "Fleur du Franc" Cabernet Franc Estate Rosé
The best Hudson Valley rosés are cabernet franc rosés
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Rosé—from a quality, “fine wine” standpoint, anyway—isn’t all that important a category in the Hudson Valley. Most of the wines, even the ones I’d happily drink on a hot summer day, tend to be kitchen-sink blends of vinifera and hybrid grapes, sometimes red and white varieties, and often with some saignee involved. They sell well in tasting rooms during the warmer months, but don’t demand much attention beyond that.
Wines like this Millbrook Vineyards & Winery 2025 “Fleur du Franc” Cabernet Franc Estate Rosé ($32*) remain the exception. 100% cabernet franc picked specifically for rosé production, it joins a small handful of more serious, intentional rosés out of the Hudson River Region AVA. And they are always 100% cabernet franc.
Wild strawberry and just-ripe peach fruit aromas are delicately layered with savory notes of fresh sage and bay leaf.
Juicy, dry, and concentrated, the medium-bodied palate is a bit more centered on red berries, with fresh strawberry, raspberry and just a little cherry pie filling, while the herbs from the nose take a step back. It’s balanced and bright with good acidity and a long, clean finish.
They only made 27 cases, so it may not be easy to find, but hopefully this was an experiment with an eye toward expanded production in the future.
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery 2025 “Fleur du Franc” Cabernet Franc Estate Rosé
Region: Hudson River Region AVA (New York)
ABV: 13.5%
RS: 0%
TA: 6.5 g/L
pH: 3.4
Grapes: 100% cabernet franc
Rating: 91 pts
Price: $32* (Available Here)
*Sample provided by winery