Tasting Diaries: April 2026

No.80 | What's In My Glass

In my head, April was the real first month of my 2026. The first quarter was by no means a total wash (I mean, February was very fruitful!), but I feel like by late March I finally got into the groove that I wanted to be in in early January.

A large part of my focus this month was on the three new articles I published here (linked down below if you missed them) and also organizing myself for a trip to the Finger Lakes, my first visit since 2023, so that I can write a report on the region’s Cabernet Francs. With the Cab Franc Forward initiative in full swing and all of its accompanying momentum, as well as the Finger Lakes region being “in my backyard,” it was high time to get back there and get a better sense of what is going on in the region from those that live it and breathe it everyday.

I’ve highlighted a few of my Finger Lakes experiences here (a little preview of what’s to come), but throughout the month I also took some time to taste a few random treasures from my cellar. So, let’s dive in!

Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault (Clos des Quarterons), 2017 Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil "Les Gravilices" (12.0% abv., SRP $30USD): From older vines on very gravelly soils in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, the estate’s "Les Gravilices” bottling always has a little more structure that their “Les Quarterons” cuvée, in part thanks to a little soupçon of old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon, but it is still very much in keeping with this earthy, soft, approachable style of Cabernet Franc. Lifted and fragrant, the nose is translucent with mostly red fruits (currant, cranberry-raspberry, with a hint of black currant and black currant leaf) and layered with a heady mix of rose florals, twiggy dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, dried mint) and peppercorn medley spice. The palate is lean and savoury, with some added tertiary layers of dried cedar, cured black olive and scorched earth. Mouth-watering, zippy acidity and soft, fine, linen-like tannins, it has good flesh through the middle palate and a lingering, round finish. This is still drinking well at nearly ten years from vintage date and nothing suggests to me that this is going to start getting tired anytime soon. Decant for optimal enjoyment, and consider serving with a slow roasted lamb shoulder.

Domaine de la Noblaie, 2022 Chinon “Les Temps de Cerises” (13.5% abv., SRP $27USD): This is the “entry-level” bottling from Domaine de la Noblaie, which comes from a mix of clay-dominated parcels in Ligré on Chinon’s left bank. The clayey impact in this wine brings much more structure than we often associated with early-drinking styles from Chinon, and that, coupled with the concentration and ripeness from the vintage, means this wine could easily go toe-to-toe with vin de garde from another producer. Vibrant and high-toned, the nose is bright and energetic with a sweet-tart, snappy dark fruit core (dark cherry, black currant, and bramble) with supporting herbal and foresty notes (rosemary, cedar wood, mint) and a touch of lavender. Clean and pure, the palate adds vivid, piquant spice (Sichuan peppercorn, cinnamon stick and chilli flake). Lively acidity and densely packed, fine, chewy tannins provide excellent framing on the palate, though it does feel a little closed based on the last time I checked in on this wine. Though some of the wine’s early baby fat has melted away and the tannins requiring a bit more time to resolve, the fruit concentration and flavour depth are more than sufficient to carry it for many years to come. Medium-bodied, approachable, contemporary, wines like this continue to confirm why Domaine de la Noblaie is in the upper echelon of Chinon estates.

Domaine des Roches Neuves, 2023 Saumur-Champigny (12.5% abv., SRP $30USD): I wanted to revisit this wine earlier in the month knowing I was going to be pouring and talking about the 2024 during an upcoming seminar in the Finger Lakes. Domaine des Roches Neuves cuvée “domaine” is from a mix of parcels, often younger blocks from their most esteemed lieux-dits, and vinified all in stainless steel. Still quite fresh, the wine is immediately charming with a nose that marries red and blue fruits (wild strawberries and blueberries on a summer afternoon) with herbal undertones of mint, tarragon and chive flowers, lifted by the prettiest floral notes of peony. There is a clarity and purity here that is a signature of Thierry and Louis Germain’s superb work with Cabernet Franc. The palate carries that same effortless energy, with mouth-watering, buoyant acidity that refreshes without austerity, and soft, satiny tannins that tighten into a fine, chalky finish for just enough structure. Medium-bodied with a subtle generosity to the fruit, this is a wine that is elegant, complete and friendly. It feels like early spring in a glass - dewy, verdant, hopeful.

Durigutti, 2021 Cabernet Franc, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (13.9% abv., SRP $20USD): From vineyards in the sub-regions of Las Compuertas and Argelo in Luján de Cuyo, and fermented in concrete and aged in fourth-use 500L French oak barrels for 6 months, this is consistently a great benchmark Argentinian Cabernet Franc - and it has held up well in the bottle! The nose and palate show classic tertiary characteristics of warm climate Cabernet Franc with a bit of age, such as notes of dried blackberries and green fig alongside dried leaves and scorched earth, and distinctive herbal aromatics of dried bay leaf and oregano complemented by Earl Grey tea, with the bergamot adding an elegant, perfumed lift. On the palate, fresh, cleansing acidity keeps things lively, while the tannins are velvety and ripe with just a touch of sinewy chew. Full-bodied and richly textured without tipping into excess, with balancing sweet spice (quatre épices and black pepper) through the mid-palate and finish, this is a well-built Cabernet Franc with character and sense of place.

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I spent all last week in the Finger Lakes, and then drove out to Long Island to be a part of Lenn Thompson’s tasting panel for his upcoming report on East Coast Cabernet Franc. After eight days and 3200km in my car, I tasted more than 250 Cabernet Francs, most of which was during my visits in the Finger Lakes.

Among the highlights from the week, I was fortunate to have had some thorough “tasting trips down memory lane” with a few producers such as Dr. Konstantin Frank, Sheldrake Point, Hermann J Wiemer, Boundary Breaks, and Master Sommelier Christopher Bates’s Element Winery, all of whom generously opened some library wines so that we explore and discuss each of their journeys making Cabernet Franc in the Finger Lakes.

I also just happened to be visiting when the annual Discover Dry Rosé tasting (organized for industry professionals) was taking place in Geneva. It isn’t often I get to taste such a diverse array of Cabernet Franc rosés in one place! Highlights from this event were some new discoveries for me including the Point of the Bluff Vineyards 2025 Rosé made by former Heron Hill winemaker Jordan Harris, the Casa Larga 2025 Rosé of Cabernet Franc from their vineyards just south of Rochester, Anthony Road’s 2025 Rosé of Cabernet Franc (their Lemberger rosé was very good too!), the floral and almost blanc de noir-pale Neverstill 2025 Rosé, and a library release from McGregor Vineyard who’s been making dry Cabernet Franc rosé since 2002, and their 2020 Rosé was showing remarkably well for being nearly six years old!

In addition to all my winery visits and other tastings, I was also in the region to give an industry seminar on Cabernet Franc, which was hosted by Forge Cellars. From all levels of the Finger Lakes wine trade - grape growers, winemakers, viticulturalists, owners, marketing managers, and more - more than fifty people gathered to gain insights into what is happening in the world of Cabernet Franc, where the Finger Lakes is positioned relative to other wine growing regions, how the region can evolve and improve their work with the variety, and why the Finger Lakes is well-positioned to become a leading benchmark region for the variety in North America.

Thank you to Chris Bennem of Glen Hollow Vineyard for sharing some of your photos!

To establish a benchmark for the attendees, I presented six Loire Valley Cabernet Francs, including the Domaine du Bel Air 2024 Bourgueil “Jour du Soif,” Domaine des Roches Neuves 2024 Saumur-Champigny, Philippe Alliet 2023 Chinon, Domaine Filliatreau 2023 Saumur-Champigny “La Grande Vignolle,” Bernard Baudry 2022 Chinon “Les Grézeaux,” Domaine des Closiers 2022 Saumur-Champigny “Les Closiers.” Not only did these wines impress for their quality and deliciousness, they also served as jumping off point for thoughtful dialogue around viticultural practices, winemaking, vintage variation, varietal character and “correctness,” communications and more. The seminar was followed by an industry social where everyone was encouraged to bring a bottle of Cabernet Franc to share, which fuelled even more curiosity and conversation.

I couldn’t be more grateful to the folks at Forge for bringing this event to life. It is my hope that industry events like this around Cabernet Franc continue with some degree of regularity, because there is no better way for an industry to move the needle qualitatively than through the kind of open, inquisitive conversation that happens when passionate people gather around a common purpose (and grape!) with a shared willingness to taste critically and learn collectively.

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That just about wraps it for April! In case you missed some of my recent articles, I’ve highlighted a few below. As always, thank you reading and being on this journey.