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  Jamesport Vineyards 2019 East End Cabernet Franc wine arrived in late December as part of our club shipments.   The traditional view of wines with a screw top as easy-going, fun wines great for a larger gathering.   On the other hand, cork bottles of wine expect cellaring, then shared with friends on a quiet evening.   Notwithstanding, the cork versus screw top debate, the Jamesport Cabernet Franc (Figure 1) presented itself as an easy, fun wine.   The color was clear ruby red, bright red on the fringe, with no legs.  The nose is rich in fruit with maybe a hint of vanilla.  Noticeable also was the raspberry and some Pyrazine notes (think Herbaceous – Bell Peppers).  The mouthfeel is light, coating the palate quickly and bursting forward with fruit.  Sour cherry is most dominant on the palate, with strawberry and plum.  The acidity is structured and well represented, as are the tannins.  Overall, this is an easy-drinking young wine that will pair well with tomato-based sauces as w

This Jamesport Vineyard wine arrived in our May club shipment, and while it should have rested for a few more years, I could not resist enjoying this franc now.  The nose had oaky notes, red fruits such as Strawberries, and maybe a hint of clove. Color is medium to light purple and clear even though the wine was unfined.  The mouthfeel is a medium to light body with notable acid, which is not surprising with a Ph of around 2.0.  The palette is classic Long Island Franc bursting with fruit and aggressive tannins.  Most notably is the Cherry and Strawberry finishing with a bit of pepper.  Overall an excellent wine to enjoy now or let rest a bit longer for even better structuring of the tannins.  JAMESPORT 2019 ESTATE CABERNET FRANC

  Before sipping this fine wine, both the name and the label give you a clear idea of what to expect.  First, the term “Sauvage” is French for savage in a strict translation, but it translates to a wine fermented with wild or indigenous yeasts in the context of wine.  Said a unique way, squeeze the grapes, leave the container open and let nature do its thing, hence this wine is a fine example of indigenous Long Island yeasts.  The label states that the grapes are a “Rauscedo Clone” planted at the Early Rising Farm in Cutchogue in 2012.  A bit more digging through the UC Davis Foundation Plant Services index, the grape is most likely a Sauvignon Blanc Proprietary clone 389 from Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo in Italy, arriving in the United States in 2012. The grapes were hand-picked, and the whole cluster pressed, allowing some tannin infusion from the stems.   The fermentation and aging took place for 11 months in French Oak Puncheons (British word for large cask holding between 70 an

Today we received our Jamesport club shipment for May.  It consisted of two wines, one red and the other white.  The red is their 2019 Estate Cabernet Franc which is traditionally an excellent example of a Long Island Cabernet Franc.  The fruit is from Mattituck fermented with indigenous yeasts and finished in French oak barrels.  The wine is unfined, and I would expect the wine to mature well over the coming decade in the cellar if I can hold off drinking it.  The white wine is a 2019 “Twenty Nineteen Sauvage, Wild/Untouched/Fierce.”  According to the label, it is a Sauvignon Blanc of Italian descent and aged in French oak for 11 months.  Given this lineage, I would expect this to be close to a French Sancerre than a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. As it is summer, I will be tasting this shortly and see if my guess is correct. JAMESPORT MAY CLUB SHIPMENT