Source: DemocratAndChronicle.com

t's prime wine-touring weather again — and for red wine drinkers, conditions are even more favorable than usual. Take my advice: Visit your favorite Finger Lakes wineries and ask to taste their 2007 red vinifera wines.

Why red? And why 2007?

Conditions that year were perfect for red wine grapes to develop the intensity of tannins and color that comes with full maturity. The relatively dry summer yielded smaller grapes, which meant more vibrant, concentrated flavors.

Red wine drinkers should get down on their knees and give thanks. Our region's normally short growing season and brutal winters are a chronic challenge to these grapes. Red wine grapes thrive when they have a long, warm, sunny spell of summer to ripen—and that's assuming the vines make it through the cold months without a lot of damage. So Finger Lakes reds enter the game with a higher handicap; only about one of four vintages exceed expectations.

From 2004 to 2006, harsh winters and clobbering rain did some damage. But then came 2007, which began with a relatively warm winter and no spring killing frost that sometimes takes down early buds. Then summer stretched out blissfully, warm and dry. And autumn was the clincher, giving the vineyards just enough rain at the beginning of harvest, followed by wonderfully sunny days and no frost until after harvest.

Most every red variety benefited — even Pinot Noir, which mostly follows the lead of the small, cool areas of Burgundy and its lean, fruity, elegant wines. Locally, 2007 was proof that even a warm vintage doesn't beat you over the head with its richly intense flavor profile. The 2007 Pinot Noirs are structured with that clean, elegant identity that is so Finger Lakes. It's no surprise that Finger Lakes Pinot Noir producers (including Thirsty Owl and Keuka Springs) have started to capture Gold Medals at wine competitions.

But perhaps the best story to come out of the 2007 vintage story is a double feature: Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. A few years ago, Cabernet Franc was labeled a rising star in the Finger Lakes region. The grape does rather well in other cool growing regions, especially in Europe. But cool is relative, and while Cabernet Franc makes it in our region, its maturity is often short-changed by erratic temperature swings. In the bottle, Cabernet Franc needs help, say, from a little Lemberger in the blend, to tone down its racy green pepper-like quality that suggests immaturity. In 2007, that was not the case.
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Instead, a glass of the 2007 Cabernet Franc pops with black pepper, dark fruits and spices. You might also detect a hint of chocolate, courtesy of the vintage's overall solid tannic structure. The only gripe some might issue is that a few of the wines are a touch too smoky, suggesting that oak aging may have been overdone. But overall, the 2007 Cabernet Francs are big wines with luscious texture.
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The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignons are as big and as luscious as their Cabernet Franc parent (according to recent DNA evidence, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon). Many of these wines have a floral aroma; some bring hints of mint or eucalyptus, and most follow with the taste of dark fruits like black raspberries and plums. A few are almost chewy.

And if the hallmark of a great wine really is its finish, the 2007 Cabernet Francs and Cabernet Sauvignons qualify as great. From what I've tasted, their flavors seem never to want to end—lingering so long you could open a new bottle and pour another glass in the time it takes the finish to finish.

Finally, a happy footnote on 2007 Finger Lakes reds. These wines are fairly affordable, with Cabernet Franc generally running between $15 and $25 a bottle; Cabernet Sauvignon, $14 to $30; and Pinot Noirs starting around $17.

Instead, a glass of the 2007 Cabernet Franc pops with black pepper, dark fruits and spices. You might also detect a hint of chocolate, courtesy of the vintage's overall solid tannic structure. The only gripe some might issue is that a few of the wines are a touch too smoky, suggesting that oak aging may have been overdone. But overall, the 2007 Cabernet Francs are big wines with luscious texture.

he 2007 Cabernet Sauvignons are as big and as luscious as their Cabernet Franc parent (according to recent DNA evidence, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon). Many of these wines have a floral aroma; some bring hints of mint or eucalyptus, and most follow with the taste of dark fruits like black raspberries and plums. A few are almost chewy.

And if the hallmark of a great wine really is its finish, the 2007 Cabernet Francs and Cabernet Sauvignons qualify as great. From what I've tasted, their flavors seem never to want to end—lingering so long you could open a new bottle and pour another glass in the time it takes the finish to finish.

Finally, a happy footnote on 2007 Finger Lakes reds. These wines are fairly affordable, with Cabernet Franc generally running between $15 and $25 a bottle; Cabernet Sauvignon, $14 to $30; and Pinot Noirs starting around $17.