Hosmer Winery Cabernet Franc 2008

Got home from work on this very humid night and just wanted a nicely chilled white wine to sip on while playing on the PC.  For some reason, the door on the wine fridge was open and both levels where reading 64F, so I was forced into pulling out one of my reds.  And the winner was: a Hosmer Winery Cabernet Franc 2008($18).  I did like many of the Finger Lakes '07 Cab/Francs, but this was my first '08 and I was not expecting anything grand after the fantastic red wines of '07.  Well, I was wrong to think that way.
Aromas were not real fruity, but more mineral, maybe some lavender and damp soil, a lot like you smell when walking through a dense evergreen forest. There were some hints of dark fruit, black raspberry or maybe black cherry.  The first sip just blew me away!  Some fruit in the back of the mouth, some nice earthy flavors in the front and a very, very velvety feel throughout. Nice soft tannins and a little pepper on a long finish.
Although, not very hungry, I did manage to dice up a little sharp cheddar and fontina cheese (twice).
More cheese than I should have, but it was just too nice to stop. Suggested pairings include poultry, lasagna, couscous with meat, Middle Eastern fare, veggie pizza, and Greek cuisine, I also think it would be a perfect red wine for charbroiled salmon.
To order from Hosmer Winery click here..