From barrel, Paumanok’s 2004 Cabernet Franc exudes mint and flowers in the nose. Creamy and with remarkably smooth tannins for its youth (Massoud calls them “slippery”), this wine’s entire sense of unexaggerated ripeness is similarly smooth and even-tempered. A long finish is saturated with black fruit, herbs, and flowers. Largely coming from one top-performing block of relatively young vines, the “Grand Vintage” version of the 2004 Franc was relatively inscrutable and (perhaps deceptively) less attractive on the day I sampled it from barrel than this impressive “white label” material. Tel. (631) 722-8800