I'm getting sick and tired of writing about how exceptional the wines are from Fjord Vineyards. I must admit, I never tire of running into Matt Spaccarelli or Casey Erdmann. Great folks! I was lucky enough to run into both of them at the Cab Franc Forward event in New York City in early February. And I certainly never tire of tasting their wines. But under Matt's delicate and experienced hands, the wine list from this small boutique winery (which continues to grow) the wines now must be mentioned as not just some of the best wines of the region or the state, but of the east coast.
The first of their wines I tried was their Fjord Vineyards Estate Dry Rose' of Cabernet Franc 2025. This was absolutely the best Cabernet Franc Rose' of the tasting. Hands down. A big nose of fresh cut strwberries soaked in wine, bright Bing cherry, and notes of watermelon, green apple, and some tropical fruits. The fruit came through on palate, and finished with an incredibly well balanced acidity that kept the whole wine having a lovely, long linger finish. That fruit lasted and lasted. Fantastic!
The next wine I sampled was the Fjord Vineyards Estate Cabernet Franc 2024. Fjord's Cab Franc was in my top three of the entire tasting. It began with lovely notes of cherry and red raspberry with notes of strawberry and bramble fruit, some light spices, and a lovely dose of black pepper at the end. This soft, approachable red had great complexity and was very well balanced, with light tannins and a nice acidity that kept the fruit lingering. An absolutely top tier, medium bodied red, perfect for lunch, and exciting with dinners like roasted chicken, roasted meats, and cheese plates. A versatile wine that always shines. Again, a wine that shines for the east coast.
Congrats to Matt and Casey.