Recently I had the good luck and fortune to host a wine tasting on behalf of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation. Always a big thrill. One of the wines at the tasting was the Dr. Konstantin Frank Sparkling Wine 2017 from Keuka Lake, in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
Meaghan Frank
I got to work with Meaghan Frank, Vice President, of Dr. Frank's. Meaghan, the great-granddaughter of Dr. Konstantin Frank, is the fourth generation winegrowner. After Meaghan graduated from high school, she enrolled at Cornell University for a degree in communications. As her interest in wine and the family business grew, Meaghan earned her MBA in wine business from the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 2013. Not settling with one degree, Meaghan completed her second Master’s degree in enology from Cornell University in December 2015. With combined expertise in wine business and winemaking, Meaghan has revolutionized the way the winery is run as well as the quality of the wines. Meaghan runs the day-to-day operations at the winery with a focus on winemaking direction, staff satisfaction, export markets, and guest experience. At the young age of 30, we have a lot to look forward to. To me, she is just what the doctor ordered, and right on time. Against a backdrop of three generations of incredibly successful men, she brings a new perspective and a fresh face to the market. She is pointed, perfectly, to help connect with the younger, upcoming wine audience, and to lead the company deep into this new century.
The sparkling wine program was instituted by Meaghan's grandfather Willy Frank. An extrovert and raconteur of the highest rank, Willy was also passionate about his sparkling wine. He introduced his first sparkling wines in 1985. This is the Grand Dame of the line. A classic sparkling wine. It's made from a blend of 55% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 5% Pinot Meunier. And it's 100% Keuka estate fruit. The Chardonnay was whole cluster direct press. And the red grapes had a 24 hour cold soak.
Eric Bauman is the sparkling winemaker at Dr. Frank's. Eric gained his sparkling wine experience in his early twenties when he moved from his hometown in Upstate N.Y. and discovered Sonoma County, California. Visiting wineries and tasting wines there eventually grew into a cellar job at J Vineyards and Winery in Healdsburg, CA from 1997-2005 producing sparkling wines not only for J Winery, but also by contract for Piper Sonoma sparkling wines. In the summer of 2005, Eric moved back to Upstate New York looking for opportunities in the Finger Lakes. There, he met Fred Frank and his father, Willy Frank, who started the winery’s sparkling wines. Today, Eric manages the sparkling wine cellar and oversees the sparkling wine vineyards producing six styles of award-winning vintage and non-vintage traditional method sparkling wines.
The grapes were hand-picked into small 40kg crates with careful bunch selection in the vineyard. The whole cluster grapes were immediately pressed. From harvest to pressing, extreme care is used in handling the grapes to avoid any excessive crushing or bruising. Only the first most delicate pressing, called the Cuvée, is used. The base wine was bottled the following Spring after harvest.
Secondary fermentation took place in bottle as per the traditional Méthode Champenoise. The wine was left in bottle with the lees for a minimum of 36 months in the underground cellar at Chateau Frank. Each bottle is individually disgorged, corked, crowned, and labeled by hand. The month of disgorgement is listed on the back of each bottle.
Meaghan had lots great stories to share during the tasting. Click on the link above to her her magical childhood stories about Willy and about the winemaking process at Dr. Frank.
Oh, and the wine. Amazing. Lots of fresh bread on the nose with big notes of citrus zest, orange zest and lemon zest. Big notes of fresh apple and pear. Lovely tropical notes. And a fantastic finish. This is absolutely elegant sparkling wine, made in the gran manner of the great French houses. This is sophisticated, complex, and well balanced. An incredible wine for elegant celebrations or perfect for food. If you own a restaurant, this is a wine you want on your list. Amazing stuff from Dr. Frank's.
Look's like the future is well in hand.