WTN: '08 Knapp Finger Lakes Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Knapp, Finger Lakes, Cabernet Sauvignon ($13.95 U.S. from winery). Alcohol level: 12%!!!

Despite the low horsepower this is a delightful wine that leaves you more sober than most Cabs these days. It provided plenty of fruit upfront and on the nose including the varietally correct black currents. It held up extraordinarily across the palate with smooth tannin; and it finished nicely.

It held up just fine with a dinner of rib eye steak and all the trimmings. Highly recommended if you are looking for a Cab with finesse rather than an over extracted bomb.

That sounds like a pretty nice wine - I'm going to try stopping at Knapp on my next visit to Cayuga. Does it say 'Estate Bottled"? At one time they were growing CS at Knapp, but they had a lot of vines wiped out during a cold snap several years back. I've always been wary of most FL CS - tends to be thin and bell-peppery - except maybe those from the bannana belt on Seneca in a good year.

That sounds like a pretty nice wine - I'm going to try stopping at Knapp on my next visit to Cayuga. Does it say 'Estate Bottled"? At one time they were growing CS at Knapp, but they had a lot of vines wiped out during a cold snap several years back. I've always been wary of most FL CS - tends to be thin and bell-peppery - except maybe those from the bannana belt on Seneca in a good year.

Actually it is not Estate Bottle, but it is not thin or bell-peppery. Their Cabernet Franc is also sources elsewhere in the FL. We have since enjoyed their '07 Estate Grown Sangiovese, which was rich and acidic enough to match nicely with pasta in tomato sauce. All of their '09 wines will be outsourced because the whole crop got wipped out by hail.

Cheers, Carl

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Too bad about the grapes getting wiped by hail. I remember seeing the Sangiovese vines as I drove up to the winery from Rt. 89 but the end product always left me unimpressed and wondering why they chose to grow that grape. Next time I go along that side of Cayuga I'll try to stop by and see how they are doing.