Sign up for our Newsletter

(Credit: Lenn Thompson)

This week’s wine of the week – Macari Vineyards 2014 “Horses” Sparkling Rose Cabernet Franc is a wine I fell for – hard – the first time I tasted it a couple months ago.

With its funky label artwork, crown cap (think beer bottle) closure, and unfiltered-ness, it looks the part of a pet nat — shorthand for Pétillant Naturel — a style of wine that is all the rage these days, particularly in New York City. This isn’t that though, even if it has some of the same personality. There was a small dosage (dose of sugar and yeast) added to the bottle to give it that sparkle – the same as Methode Champenoise, which is employed for most of the world’s best sparkling wines.

Still, this is anything but typical. I mean, it’s made with cabernet franc, which makes it beyond unique from the start. It’s fresh and fruity, but still shows that herby cab franc edge and is frothy rather than super-carbonated. My wife and I have already polished off the half case that we recently bought at the winery. It’s not super-complex or complicated. Don’t ponder it too much, just chill it and drink it – with food or by itself. It’s as fun to drink as it is delicious. I guess you could put it in a Champagne flute, but I prefer it in a white wine glass, just a bit warmer than room temperature. And don’t’ worry about the sediment. It won’t hurt you.

Winemaker Kelly Urbanik didn’t make much of it. In fact, there is so little available that it hasn’t made its way onto the winery’s website yet. Maybe it won’t ever get there – so get yourself to the Mattituck tasting room and pick some up. That’s the only place it’s available and with warmer weather here, it’s sure to sell out quickly.

X
X