Benmarl Winery, in the historic Hudson River Valley, sits on a 37 acre estate, and lays claim to the oldest continuously operating vineyard in America. The winery also holds New York Farm Winery license no.1. It is currently owned by Victor Spacarelli Jr. The winemaker is son Matthew Spacarelli (who is also co-owner of Fjord Vineyards with his partner Casey Erdmann). Megan Lamb is the assistant winemaker.
I recently caught up with Matthew briefly at the Cab Franc Forward event in New York City in early February. His wines were absolutely terrific. Matthew is among my favorite winemakers on the east coast. His light and deft touch, especially where Cab Franc is concerned, is exceptional.
Matt was the helm of winemaking at Benmarl through the ‘24 season. So any thing before 2025, was basically in his hands. However, in 2025, with the completion of their new winemaking facility, Benmarl was the addition of River Allen and Megan Lamb to the Benmarl winemaking team. River seemingly leans on the technical side; Megan on the cellar master side. Matt remains the vineyard manager, and the titular director of winemaking. In short, the three all work extremely hard and cover for each other when necessary.
Benmarl Winery Cabernet Franc Pétillant 2025 is a lightly sparkling dark rose' wine made from 100% Cabernet Franc. There's a lovely pink mousse. The nose is chock-a-block with red cherry, strawberry, blackberry, and a hint of herbs and violets. There's also notes of tobacco, and a slight hint of black tea and white pepper with a creamy middle. The acidity finishes the wine with a zippy citrus balance, and the light red fruit lingers on the palate for a long time. Absolutely an elegant fizz, with tremendous flavor and terrific balance. Exquisite.
The Benmarl Cabernet Franc Estate Grown 2022 has a fruit forward nose of bright cherry, red raspberry, a hint of plum, and red lingonberry. There's some lovely, light savory notes, with a hint of spice. The wine is easy and approachable, with a lovely fruit forward feel, but with layers and layers of flavors. The final finish is white pepper and a light finish of black tea. Beautifully structured, complex, and sophisticated.
Perfect for food, and an easy medium-bodied red sipper, Benmarl Cabernet Francs have an easy elegance that makes the wines so enjoyable. Two of the best wines of the tasting.