While at the Cab Franc Forward tasting in NYC, I came across Whitecliff Vineyards, and was happy to run into winemaker Brad Martz and owner Yancey Stanforth-Migliore. Whitecliff, located in the Hudson Valley, is one of the better quality wine producers in the Hudson River Region AVA. They are all estate fruit and are a certified sustainable winery. Michael Migilore, the other owner, has been a visionary for the valley for more than 20 years.
Winemaker Brad Martz is among my favorite people in the HV wine community. Affable, knowledgeable, and friendly, he's a great, down to earth guy, and a talented winemaker. Brad Martz joined Whitecliff in the 2010 harvest as a dedicated volunteer, then graduated to cellar work and rapidly progressed to full-time winemaker. In addition to hands on work with Michael he’s also invested many hours in learning and research with the Cornell Extension. Under his winemaking tenure Whitecliff has continued to rack up award after award. As per usual, there was not enough time at the tasting to hang out with Brad. Always fun to chat with him.
It was also fun to runCo-owner Yancey Stanforth-Migliore. Yancey brings a very different skillset than Michael or Brad. Yancey has helped build the business from scratch running the sales side of the business. She has served on multiple boards and panels, and has run the tasting room experience and wholesale operations with grace and charm. She is well known in the industry, and is usually the face at so many festivals, farmers markets, tastings, and other industry events.
Whitecliff has won much praise for its recent run of Cabernet Francs, coinciding with it's North River Vineyard, up near Olanna, on the banks of the Hudson, coming on line with some exceptional fruit. They've won real praise from Wine Enthusiast, and medals at the SF International Wine Competition and at the American Wine Society Commercial Competition. Whitecliff Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2023 is a medium bodied red wine that starts off with notes of cherry, raspberry, with notes of plum and red cassis. There are also touches of spice, a hint of bramble, and a nice finish of black tea and ground white pepper. There's also a good balance between smooth wine and a hint of acidity that keeps the fruit lively and juicy. It's complex and well made. An approachable wine that says, you're among friends. It begs to be shared and enjoyed with company. Lovely wine. Congrats to all!