Hermann J. Wiemer continues to impress. I tasted this wine at the Cab Franc Forward tasting in New York City earlier this month. The Hermann J. Wiemer Cabernet Franc Magdalena Vineyard vineyard designate wines have been a flagship red of the Wiemer line for some time. The 2023 vintage is astonishing.
Wiemer's single-vineyard Cabernet Franc has the weight and structure to impress. The fruit comes from a two-and-a-half-acre block within their Magdalena Vineyard- a warmer site which produces fruit that is amongst their ripest picks in each vintage. Hand picked, hand sorted. The estate grapes are crushed/destemmed with 25% being whole cluster. They use a wild yeast fermentation. 100% of the wine was aged in combination of neutral French (225L) and Hungarian (500L) oak barrels.
The Hermann J. Wiemer Cabernet Franc Magdalena Vineyard 2023 is an exceptional wine, with dark cherry, black cherries, red plums, and a hint of cranberry. There's some lovely vanilla in there, and a nice note of white pepper. A deeper, darker Cabernet Franc, but still clearly a fruit forward cabernet franc. This is complex and well-balanced, flavorful yet austere - classic. An astounding mixture of quality,, consistency, and taste.