Tastings/Evaluations « Richard Leahy

Sep

Wines of the Week 9/9/16

Dr. Konstantin Frank Riesling Reserve 2001 Finger Lakes: This wine is an excellent argument for laying down top Finger Lakes rieslings for 15 years or more. This wine won a gold medal in its youth, but was lean and tight; a good sign for a long-distance runner. I’ve written before on the virtues of laying down fine rieslings from classic regions (Alsace, Austria, Finger Lakes, Oregon, Michigan and Washington) and how the aging curve is “U”-shaped, going into a decline on fruitiness after the first two years, then emerging after ten years plus with a renewed fruitiness, complemented by tertiary aging characteristics like mellowing of acidity and petrol.

This wine, admirably, has almost no petrol on the nose, but fresh lemon/lime zest, white flowers and some ripe apple; there’s a hint of petrol in the background which grows gradually. On the palate, light, fresh, lively and surprisingly young, with finely integrated zesty acid and ripe apple and citrus fruit, and a long lingering freshness on the finish. Who would guess this was 15 years old? Interestingly Meaghan Frank, fourth generation descendant of Konstantin and current winery general manager, gave me a bottle of the 2008 dry riesling a few months ago. It was developing well but I told her I thought it needed more time; it was barely waking up from a long slumber. This 2001 reserve is singing sweetly.

Rockbridge Vineyards De Chiel Viognier 2015: This is the debut release of this premier white wine for Virginia, from a local grower, and it’s my favorite of the vintage for that grape so far. The nose is subtle, then intense with white flowers, white fruits, and lively acid to balance on the palate. If you like a viognier that isn’t all honeysuckle and is good with food, this is it. Great way to debut!

Cardinal Point Green, 2015: A fun, original wine that was modeled on vinho verde from Portugal, but has evolved a bit stylistically, and in a good way. This wine was a 50/50 blend of chardonnay and petit manseng, and with the high acid of the latter, the wine is full of green and yellow apple flavors with lime/citrus, but at the same time, isn’t as edgy as vinho verde normally is since the alcohol is 12.9% (the petit manseng was 24 brix or 13.2 potential alcohol when harvested). I found myself quaffing a lot of this at the Tins for Tunes event at the winery in August; a great product for a d___n hot summer.

Aug

First Drink Outside the Grape Competition Announces Medal Results

The first “Drink Outside the Grape” competition with just under 100 entries took place in Charlottesville, VA on August 11, resulting in 76 medals for fruit wines, meads, ciders and fruit brandies.

The 98 entries came from 11 U.S. states, two provinces of Canada, and Austria. (Disclosure: this writer is the Competition Chair for Drink Outside the Grape).

Beverages in these categories are often misunderstood or not given the same respect as is given to traditional table wines. Drink Outside the Grape gives fruit wine, mead, cider and fruit brandies a place where they can be judged fairly without being compared to traditional grape-based table wines.

Best of Category awards were: Satek Winery (IN) Autumn Classic (apple), Double Gold and Best Fruit Wine; Carlos Creek Winery (MN), Apple Hopper, gold and Best Cider; Castle Hill Cider (VA), 1764, Double Gold and Best Fortified; Finger Lakes Distilling (NY), Cherry Liqueur, Double Gold and Best Distilled Fruit.

Best of Category Winners in the 2016 Drink Outside the Grape Competition

There were no gold medals in the mead class but there was a five-way tie in high silver medals: Charm City Meadworks (MD), Basil Lemongrass; Blacksnake Meadery, (VA) ”Sweet Virginia”; Hermit Woods Winery, “2015 Sap Mead”; and two meads from Pairie Bee Meadery in Saskatchewan, “Haskap Haven” and “Strawberry Splash.”

About half of all entries were dry to off-dry, showing that it’s a stereotype to think of these beverages as sweet or unsophisticated.

The judges for the event were trade professionals including: Dr. Joseph Fiola, enologist, University of Western Maryland; Andrew Stover, Vino50, Washington, D.C.; Robert Harllee, Market St. Wineshop, Charlottesville; Anne Shelton, Albemarle Ciderworks, North Garden; Doug Hotz, Rio Hill Gourmet, Charlottesville; and MaryAnn Costa, Kroger Emmet St., Charlottesville.

I was impressed with the quality and creativity shown in the competition entries. For example, there’s ‘1764’, a fortified sweet apple cider from local Castle Hill Cider in Keswick, that won a double gold and Best Fortified entry, and a melomel (fruit wine/mead blend) from Saskatchewan made from the haskap berry, of which I hadn’t heard until now.”

Complete medal results are available at www.drinkoutsidethegrape.com.

Aug

Tasting Highlights from the Finger Lakes, July 2016, Part 2

Part II: Seneca Lake

Balcony at Silver Thread Vineyards, Caywood

Fox Run Vineyards

Fox Run Vineyards on northwest Seneca Lake south of Geneva makes a wide range of wines for all palates, but specializes in riesling. Long-time winemaker Peter Bell is one of the three partners/winemakers in the Tierce project, a dry, reserve-style riesling finished with a Stelvin (screw cap) that tends to need a couple of years of age to reach its potential. The two other original winemakers in the project were Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road Vineyards and David Whiting of Red Newt Cellars, also of Seneca Lake, have been succeeded by Peter Beecraft and Kelby Russell, assistant winemakers at these respective same wineries.

Tierce 2013 Finger Lakes: Nose: complex mix of petrol, peach, apple and jasmine notes. On the palate, high acid, lean and rapier-like minerality; fruit is still tight and needs time to emerge.

Dry Riesling 2014 Finger Lakes: Nose: cilantro and lemon/lime with green apple. On the palate, vibrant and lively, very dry, green apple flavors with a slate-like edgy acidity. A classic dry style.

♦Riesling Reserve 2011: In addition to the joint Tierce project, Fox Run occasionally makes a Reserve label in exceptional years that has received consistently high reviews. This one is indeed exceptional and received 94 points in the Wine Enthusiast. Nose: fascinating, a nice evolution of lemon and minerality like Grand Cru Alsatian riesling, with white flowers ripe peach and red apple. On the palate, the wine is juicy with citrus and red apple, also tangerine and mineral. Even at five years when most rieslings’ fruit is fading, this has evolved well and will continue to do so for another decade.

Cabernet Franc 2014: Nose is bright with red and black cherry, clean and freshly fruity. Palate is dry but balanced, a nice fresh Loire Valley style of red and black cherry, with acid and fruit nicely balanced.

Boundary Breaks

Boundary Breaks is a relative newcomer of a winery located north of most wineries on Seneca Lake near the Ovid-Lodi town line. That they specialize in riesling is putting it mildly; until very recently it was all they had, and also put their money into developing their vineyards of single clones of riesling. This year I was pleased to see they had finally opened a winery and tasting room (formerly you had to make an appointment to taste in their kitchen). Also, they now offer a brilliant gewürztraminer and in the fall of 2017 they will offer a red Bordeaux blend. The tasting room is very tastefully designed featuring Doric columns that evoke the Greek Revival architecture evident in many homes dating to the mid-19^th century in the region.

Boundary Breaks’ wines are all estate fruit, with 18 acres planted now and six more coming. Their “angle” on riesling is to make, and label, wines from different clones. Most of the Finger Lakes is planted with the (Geisenheim) clone #239, which is forwardly fruity, while the clone #110 which Boundary Breaks has added, carries heavier mineral tones combined with tropical fruit.

Gewuztraminer 2015: a nose with lychee and ripe apricot but focused and racy. Palate: tight with bright acid, much more acid (and vibrant) than most gewurztraminers, very young and lively. Will last a couple of years and needs another six months. Slight bitterness on the finish with spice tones adds a food-friendly dimension.

Riesling 2013 Clone #239: A classic Mosel-style nose: hints of petrol, slate, apple, white flowers. Palate: broad, yellow and red apple flavors, clean and fresh but not too edgy. Drinks easily for a dry style.

Riesling Ovid Line North 2014 (blend of clones): Medium dry, late picked. Nose: mineral/slate, ripe peach and apple. Palate: juicy red apple and ripe peach, plump but with fine balancing acid. 2.9% residual sugar. Complex, smoky petrol on the finish. Drink or lay down.

Riesling Reserve 2013 Clone #198 (9% alcohol). Classic Mosel-style nose; peach, mango, white flowers, with a hint of petrol. On the palate, racy lime and green apple. Juicy and firm with low alcohol, peachy fruit with balancing acidity, quaffable and surprisingly dry for 5.6% residual sugar.

♦Riesling Icewine 2016: Yes, this was made from grapes frozen on the vine, and is a true icewine. Normally I’d be hesitant to review an icewine that is so young since riesling icewines, typical of the grape, have high acid levels. This very elegant wine was a pleasant surprise. Nose: peach, vanilla, and crème brulée along with some smoky peachy petrol. On the palate, the wine is bright and lively with lemon and peach, with creamy sweet but with a fine acid finish. $60/half bottle but priced with others in this category and surprisingly elegant for such a young wine.

♦Dry Riesling Clone #239: ripe peach, petrol and flowers on the nose. The palate has solid red apple and nectarine flavors, white peach and huge fruit/acid volume. 0.9% r.s.

♦Riesling Reserve 2014 Clone #198: The nose is closed, then lots of flowers, pineapple and peach, a hint of sulfur. Palate: juicy, with huge fruit volume of apple, pineapple, peach and lively acid. Young, with lots of promise.

Idol Ridge & Lamoreaux Landing

South of Lodi, the wineries on east Seneca Lake grow more dense as you drive further south. Idol Ridge is a newcomer with an expansive view of the lake to the north that offers a currant-flavored vodka in addition to table wines. This year they won “best non-fortified dessert wine” with their vidal blanc icewine in the New York State Fair wine competition.

Idol Ridge Reserve Riesling 2014 (1.8% residual sugar): A single vineyard wine, from late harvested fruit. Nose: lime/citrus at first, then fragrant white peach and red apple. On the palate, solid ripe apple, with vibrant acid. Drink now or hold for aging. A

Lamoreaux Landing Vineyards has an iconic 20^th century interpretation of the Greek Revival architecture seen in the region, and used to be the northernmost visible winery on Rt. 414 driving north on east Seneca Lake. It still has an expansive view that is hard to equal in the region. Another hallmark of the winery is that it only grows and produces wine from the European vinifera grape species.

Lamoreaux Landing Round Rock Vineyard Riesling 2014: On the nose, lime and white flowers, yellow apple and mineral. Palate: flinty, with loads of slate, lime and green apple, crisp finish, will last.

Lamoreaux Landing Semi-Dry Riesling 2014 (2% residual sugar): Aromatics of lime and flint. Palate: a fine fruit/acid balance, juicy with nice apple/mineral notes.

Lamoreaux Landing Dry Rosé 2015: Based on cabernet franc. A hint of sulfur on the nose, with red cherry hints and a bit of herb. On the palate, bright red cherry/berry, zesty and fruity with strawberry flavors in the lingering finish. Stylish, a bit young still.

Silver Thread Vineyard

This nifty tasting sheet identifies all the Silver Thread rieslings and their respective vineyard sites in the Finger Lakes

Silver Thread Vineyard is about a quarter mile south of Lamoreaux Landing on Caywood Drive. You first have to drive (slowly) past the Doyle Vineyards of chardonnay and riesling to the left, then the road turns left and after crossing a creek, turn right and you’ll see the sign on the right.

Owned by husband/wife team Paul (winemaker) and Shannon Brock (general manager and wine educator), Silver Thread began in the 1990s under original owner Richard Figiel who was the first in the region to obtain organic certification (1992-1997), but decided to farm sustainably without the certification. The Brocks follow in his sustainable farming tradition, having purchased the winery in 2011. Production is now 3,000 cases (with a big emphasis on single vineyard rieslings) with vineyards farmed at eight acres.

♦Silver Thread STV Estate Riesling 2015: The nose is Rheingau-style, perfumed ripe peach, red apple and nectarine. On the palate there is strong, full volume of peach and nectarine flavors, with balancing acidity. Medium dry. Drink or hold.

♦Silver Thread Doyle Fournier Vineyard Riesling 2015: From the vineyard adjacent to Silver Thread’s estate on east Seneca Lake. Nose: orange citrus fruits, also pear and yellow apple. Palate: broad, round, with lots of ripe peach and tangerine flavors and firm acid in the finish but richer and fuller than the 2014 version. Fine shalestone flintiness in the finish. Medium dry.

♦Silver Thread Gridley Bluff Vineyard Riesling 2015: From a vineyard on cooler Keuka Lake. The nose is fragrantly fruity but tight and racy in a Keuka fashion, with fragrant meadow grass notes much like a sauvignon blanc, but also with white peach. On the palate, lively acid, yellow apple, white peach flavors and lively acidity. Still tight and taut but will age well.

Silver Thread Gewurztraminer 2014 STV Estate: Nose: racy, with a spicy, floral aroma. The palate is lively, with tight acidity and ripe peach fruity, impressively riesling-like acidity for the peachy fruit. Stylish.

Silver Thread Pinot Noir STV Estate 2013: For true Burgundian fans who can handle a pinot with a light hue and firm, crisp acid, this wine has fragrant red and black cherries on the nose with hints of racy limestone. The palate is bright with lively red cherries. Vibrant and tight, it need time but represents the grape and the region well.

Chateau LaFayette Reaneau & Atwater Vineyards

View from Ch. LaFayette Reneau, Hector

Chateau LaFayette Reneau and Atwater Vineyards are adjacent properties in Hector, southeast Seneca Lake, opposite the deepest part of the lake (over 600 ft.). Accordingly they can not only produce fine riesling, but ripen red Bordeaux grapes; the late Dick Reneau of the Chateau was most proud of his Proprietor’s Reserve cabernet sauvignon from exceptional years, which drank like classified Bordeaux growths.

Chateau has, over the years, arguably been the most consistent riesling gold medalist. They make a dry, semi-dry, and late harvest (half bottle) styles, but the dry and semi-dry have been the most notable. In recent years they have also introduced new reds like varietal syrah and cabernet franc.

Chateau Lafayette Reneau Dry Riesling 2014: The nose offers complex aromas of green apple, lime, cilantro and mineral elements. On the palate, the wine is round and juicy, with ripe apple, easier to drink than the nose suggests, forward and early-maturing (1% residual sugar).

Chateau Lafayette Reneau Pinot Noir 2013: The nose is clean and fresh, with smoky black cherry and spice. On the palate, firm acid and black cherry with lots of spice, reminiscent of Pernand Vergelleses. Will age.

Chateau Lafayette Reneau Syrah 2013: Nose: black cherry and white pepper. Palate: broad, juicy, smooth, with black cherry flavors, some spice, lively fresh finish. Stylish.

Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2013 Cabernet Franc: A perfumed nose of spicy strawberry with some black cherry. Palate: dry and tart, spicy with lots of strawberry, more like a pinot noir but classy.

♦Chateau Lafayette Reneau Cabernet Sauvignon Proprietor’s Reserve 2012: The nose shows ripe plum and cassis with some cigar box spice. On the palate, it is silky smooth at first, then suddenly punch dry tannins on the mid-palate with cassis and spice. Rich and smooth with loads of ripe black fruits, will age for decades.

Chateau Lafayette Reneau Semi-dry Riesling 2014 (2.8% residual sugar): The nose is oddly cheesy at first, then opens to apple and peach. The palate starts with high acid which balances ripe apple and peach flavors, with a long finish.

Chateau Lafayette Reneau Late Harvest Riesling 2014 (6% residual sugar, some botrytis): Nose shows pineapple and mango fruit but is still delicate. Palate: lots of weight, with ripe pineapple and mango flavors, fine balancing acidity.

Atwater Vineyards

Atwater Vineyards, owned by Ted Marks, is an excellent vineyard site as explained above, and once was farmed by former wine trade magazine publisher Bill Moffett. In tribute, Ted released an outstanding lemberger from 2013 with the designation of the Moffett Vineyard. Winemaker Vinny Aliperti is both talented and creative. Like many Finger Lakes wineries, anyone who drinks wine can pretty much find something they like here that is also well-made, but the quality and creativity are refreshing. It was actually Ted’s idea to create a wine called “Riewurz”, a blend of riesling and gewürztraminer, the blend varying on the vintage, with an aromatic wine that has more perfume than riesling but more acid than gewürztraminer. The “Big Blend” is a rich, full-bodied and original blend of syrah, the two cabernets, merlot and lemberger. There are two labels of “bubbles”, dry riesling and pinot noir which have been carbonated to a light, fun fiz and finished with informal crown caps. Tasting notes:

♦Atwater 2013 Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature: The phrase “brut nature” means the wine is given no dosage, or sweetening agent after it has been disgorged of the lees. Since sparkling wine grapes are harvested early for high acid, that means a pretty brisk, high acid drink, but it works brilliantly in this case. A fine mousse (18 months en tirage) yields to a nose of fine toasty dough with lemon curd. On the palate, flavors of lemon curd with lemon zest and a stony flintiness with bright sunlight. Zesty but not green, brilliant in hue and texture.

Atwater Riewurz 2014: Off-dry with a 50/50 blend of the two grapes. Nose: a great blend of the two grapes’ aromatics. On the palate, the wine is spicy with firm acid, lively and vibrant.

Atwater Pinot Gris 2014: Nose of spicy Asian pear, with a like spiciness on the palate, zesty. Really good acidity to balance; stylish.

♦Atwater Dry Riesling 2014 Navone Vineyard: This fine single vineyard wine comes from a neighboring site on southeast Seneca Lake and was aged for three months in neutral oak. The nose yields lemon/lime and cilantro, with red apple hints. On the palate, the wine is lively and fresh, with lime and red apple flavors. More forward than most 2014 rieslings, with a fine mouthfeel.

Atwater Vidal blanc 2014: Off-dry at 0.5% residual sugar, this is a pretty good substitute for riesling. The nose is lightly floral with lively lime/mineral notes. The palate has spicy pear flavors with a fine acid finish; stylish.

♦Atwater Dry Rosé 2015: A blend of 81% merlot and 19% cabernet franc, this fine rosé has a nose of lovely bright red cherry. The palate is juicy cherry with big matching acidity, very lively (0.6% residual sugar).

Atwater Riesling Bubbles 2013: Lots of ripe yellow apple with a whiff of petrol. On the palate, round, juicy and semi-dry, a fun easy riesling balanced with fine acid finish (1.8% R.S.)

Atwater Pinot Noir 2013: Nose of spicy black cherry. Palate: fine acid, black cherry flavors, good length with nice firm tannins on the finish, will last.

♦Atwater Big Blend 2013 (syrah, cabernets sauvignon and franc, merlot, lemberger/blaufrankisch): Dark and dense. On the nose—Wow! Briar fruits and dark chocolate! The palate is driven by lemberger/blaufrankisch, syrah and cabernet franc fruit, with lots of lively fresh briar fruits with zesty acidity. Who says the Finger Lakes can’t make a big sexy red blend? Alcohol refreshingly moderate at 13%.

♦Atwater Syrah 2013: Atwater was one of the first Finger Lakes wineries to make varietal syrah and with its warm location it makes a consistently fine one, in a Rhone style instead of West Coast or Aussie. Nose: classic white pepper and solid black cherry notes. On the palate, zesty and lively with fresh black cherry flavor and fine spicy finish; stylish and classic.

Jul

Jump Mountain Vineyard: Tiny but Stylish Winery Worth the Trip

One of the smallest, and most obscure new Virginia wineries is Jump Mountain Vineyard, which opened in 2012 some 15 miles north of Lexington. Although it’s not far from the intersection of interstates 64 and 81, Rt. 39 and the Valley Route 11, it’s only open on weekends, and then by appointment, with no helpful signage from the main route Maury River Highway Rt. 39.

Jump Mountain Vineyards north of Lexington

The aptly-named Jump Mountain looms as a fine geologic landmark the closer you get to the winery, until you turn in at the gate and get a breathtaking view of the mountain looming above, with vineyards in the foreground.

Owners David Vermillion and Mary Hughes purchased the 32-acre farm in 2006, planting their first vines in 2008. They chose the site for its warmth, low humidity and rainfall, well-drained soils and cool night temperatures (for malic acid retention in the grapes), with an elevation of 1330 ft. For a site in the western mountains, they raised some eyebrows by planting cabernet sauvignon, but the wisdom of site selection has validated their choice.

While cabernet sauvignon dominates the volume of wine production, with two varietal labelings (2012 with 12% tannat and 2013 100% varietal), they have diversified, with a look to northeastern Italy and Austria. Their one white currently is a varietal gruener veltliner from 2015 (their 2014 has sold out), and they have a fun, fruity and dry Italian blend of refosco, lagrein, sagrantino and the two cabernets.

They opened at an unfortunate time for a new vineyard in Virginia. The last three winters they’ve been whacked with the polar vortex killing young vines, and spring frosts killing the potential crop on many vines especially the cold-tender sagrantino and tannat. David confides that in 2014 their total production was less than 200 cases or around 3 barrels worth, due to crop losses to winter kill.

The good news is that Mary and David haven’t given up, and have re-planted dead vines with new ones on more low-vigor-appropriate rootstock. One reason why their wines are so flavorful is that the low vigor of the site reduces berry size, with a greater phenolic/flavor compound ratio to water in the berries than with a more vigorous site. Another reason is that their site soaks up the heat in late summer, but Jump Mountain blocks the west wind, allowing a warmer south wind up their valley as far as their site. “We’re right on the [mesoclimate] frontier,” says David. At the same time, cool air flowing down from nearby Jump Mountain keeps nighttime temperatures low, retaining good malic acid levels in the grapes, where vines planted say in the lower Piedmont would lose malic acid with lower levels of diurnal variation in temperature.

Right now, there are just three wines available at the winery, but Market St. Wineshop in Charlottesville carries them. I still think the trip out there is worthwhile if you’re driving between Lexington or points south or west and Charlottesville, for the views and lack of tasting room craziness (note: you have to call and make an appointment to taste the wines on the weekends, and they’re not open weekdays.) Jump Mountain has King Family Vineyards winemaker Matthieu Finot as their consultant winemaker.

Tasting Notes:

Gruener Veltliner 2015: aged on the lees in a used Burgundian oak barrel. Nose: definite varietally characteristic white pepper and wax bean, not fruity but aromatic. On the palate, dry, full, round but large volume, with prickly pear texture and spiciness. Young, will evolve; stylish, will be great with seafood and chicken in cream sauce.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2012: (12% tannat) Nose: mature, spicy with black cassis, smokey and gamey, intriguing, like a barbera/dolcetto blend or a Rhone blend. Palate: light-bodied but zesty, dried red fruits, smooth and spicy, versatile, mature and fun. You think of other grapes than a cabernet sauvignon when tasting it, but it’s much more interesting than many of them.

♦ Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: 100% varietal. Dark opaque ruby color. Nose: solid ripe red cassis, cedar and smoke; seems classic for the grape and the vintage in Virginia. Palate: huge volume, ripe red fruits and cedar/spice, firm but ripe tannins. Young but stylish, will age well. Can drink well from this fall.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 (will be released in October, has a bit of tannat). Color: very dark. Nose: ripe black fruits, evolving into black currants and black cherries. Palate is zesty and fresh with bright acidity and fruit-driven. Lively black fruits and firm but ripe tannins, reminiscent of a Northern Italian red or a cabernet from Southeast Seneca Lake (the Finger Lakes). Young but will drink well in 18 months and hold for a decade; only 82 cases made.

Italian Blend Yet to be Named, 2015: Includes refosco, lagrein, sagrantino and the two cabernets. This is the first vintage these grapes have been blended. Nose: fragrant ripe cherries and strawberries, and roses. Palate: firm acid, with zesty sour cherries and red apple. Very bright red fruits with lively acidity, a great warm weather red wine. Still in barrel, promising potential, original and stylish.

Jul

Top Medals from the NY Commercial State Fair Wine Competition

I judged again this year in the New York State Fair wine competition, where the diversity and quality–especially among the red wines, and the up-and-coming American hybrid Diamond–was loud and clear.

The final round of the competition pitted about 10 wines that had won double gold medals against each other for Best of the Competition award. Also were the Best of Category awards for red, white, riesling, sparkling, native, and fruit wines.

The big winners were Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards (east Seneca Lake) for Best Winery (most top awards), Chateau Frank for Best of Show with its 2008 Brut (methode champenoise), and Keuka Springs Vineyard winning the June Phillips Riesling Award with their 2014 Humphreys Vineyard Riesling. Complete top awards are as follows:

Best Winery	Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards
Best of Show	Chateau Frank – 2008 Brut
June Phillips Riesling Award	Keuka Springs Vineyard – 2014 Humphreys Vineyard Riesling
Best Riesling	Chateau Lafayette Reneau – 2014 Dry Riesling
Best Rosé	Chateau Lafayette Reneau – 2014 Pinot Noir Rosé
Best Dessert – Fortified	Casa Larga Vineyards – 2013 “8”
Best Dessert – Non-Fortified	Idol Ridge Winery – 2014 Vidal Blanc Icewine
Best (non-riesling) White	Keuka Spring Vineyards – 2014 Vignoles
Best Red	Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards – 2012 Cabernet Franc
Best Sparkling	Chateau Frank – 2008 Brut
Best Fruit	Montezuma Winer – Cranberry Bog

Jul

Tasting Highlights from the Finger Lakes July 2016

The new label design for Dr. Frank Cellars flank the old design on either side. To the right, the “Women’s Series” single vineyard labels for Eugenia and Margrit’s rieslings.

Part I: Keuka Lake

Summer isn’t complete for me without a visit to the Finger Lakes of New York, one of the best places in the East for world-class wines from dozens of grape varieties including non-vinifera ones.

I judged in the New York State Fair in both amateur and commercial levels, and continue to be impressed at the diversity of wine quality. The top two wines in the amateur competition were both fruit wines, a cranberry and a pear wine, proving that fruit wine can be as good, or better, than grape wines. In the commercial competition, a late harvest vidal won the Best of Show but was competing with excellent finalists including riesling, cabernet franc, sparkling diamond, a cranberry wine and my personal favorite, a currant melomel or fruit wine/mead blend.

The visit to the area began in Hammondsport with a stay at the cozy yet modern and comfortable Champagne House run by Hammondsport Lodging A pleasant surprise awaited at the Village Inn and Tavern, now under the management of Suzanne Geisz, serving excellent cuisine with a carefully chosen beer and local wine list. The oysters Rockerfeller were the best I’ve had!

Former Tavern owner Paul Geisz and fellow State Fair wine judge joined me and we met new Dr. Frank Cellars’ General Manager and fourth generation heir, Meaghan Frank, to taste through the current wines in the newly renovated tasting room with photos and major medals highlighting over 50 years of the winery’s history. Paul and I have met with Meaghan and Fred Frank in the past for such tastings, and we both agreed that they continue to raise the bar every year.

The main varietal series has been given a fresh look with a re-design that brightens the label and sharpens the text. The newsletter spoke of high ratings for their 2014 rieslings, but we just had word that Robert Parker had given over 90 points to three of their red wines including a varietal saperavi, the great Georgian red varietal. It’s nice to see that years, perhaps decades after those of us who cover the Eastern scene regularly and have been singing the praises of its wines, Mr. Parker finally wakes up and acknowledges what’s been in his back yard all this time.

Here are the highlights of each winery’s tasting notes. Anything listed here is noteworthy; starred items are exceptional.

Dr. Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars

♦♦Chateau Frank Blanc de Noirs 2009 Finger Lakes: 100% pinot noir, five years en tirage. Nose: bright lemon and yeast with light cherry notes. Palate: creamy smooth, great finesse, firm acid but rich red fruits balanced with creamy lemon. Very vibrant, lively and stylish.

♦Pinot Gris 2015 Finger Lakes: Nose has HUGE spicy pear, classic for the “gris” varietal style. Palate: broad, round texture with bright spicy pear flavors. Very stylish!

There is now a single vineyard “Women’s Series” of rieslings from Dr. Frank which began with Margrit’s riesling, named for Willy Frank’s wife. Eugenia is a new addition, named for the winery founder Konstantin’s wife. It’s from 35 year old vines on the estate.

♦Eugenia 2014 Riesling dry: very Saar-like, tastes like a blue-green shade of color, with smoky shale hints. Palate: dry but smooth and delicate, like the music of Chopin, with flavors of white peach and pear. Plump texture, round and smooth to balance firm acid. Very fine, can be enjoyed now or age for a decade.

♦Margrit 2014 Riesling dry: barrel fermented in four year old French oak. Nose: delicate, elegant yellow apple, some honey, and a hint of pineapple. Palate: smoky honey and yellow apple. Young but promising and richly textured, a unique style with the oak influence.

Dry Riesling 2015 Finger Lakes: Nose of bright lemon and ripe red and yellow apple. Palate: dry but solid ripe fruit, a versatile wine with generous fruit.

Dry Riesling 2014 Finger Lakes: Nose: faint lemon/lime. Palate: fine acid with impressive length, will age well but needs more time.

♦Semi-dry Riesling 2015 Finger Lakes: fermentation stopped in the German style, instead of back-sweetened, at 2.6% residual sugar. All Seneca Lake fruit. Nose: nice German Rhine fruitiness of red apple, apricot and peach. Palate: juicy, with lots of ripe fruit! Well-balanced with a lively finish.

♦Gewurztraminer 2014 Finger Lakes: was on the skins for 48 hours pre-fermentation. Nose: spicy with lychee and rose. On the palate, great spiciness, clean with a nice hint of bitterness to balance the lack of acidity on the finish. Less than 1% residual sugar. A fine versatile food wine.

Lemberger 2013 Finger Lakes: Nose: fruity and delicate with bit of spice (partly aged in Hungarian oak). Briar fruits with an original character and spice. Palate: good fruit/acid balance, excellent oak, fruit and rounded acidity; stylish.

♦Cabernet Franc 2013 Finger Lakes: Nose: amazing spice and bright red fruits, very stylish. Palate: ripe red fruits, crisp finish, smooth tannins and fine oak integration. A classic example of fine and elegant cabernet franc.

♦Saperavi 2013 Finger Lakes: the second varietally labeled Dr. Frank vintage of this giant of Georgian red grapes. Color: very dark. Nose: smoky plum, black fruits and truffles. Palate: black cherry and plum, big volume from smooth ripe tannins, original and stylish. Can be enjoyed this fall or laid down for 5-10 years.

♦♦Meritage 2012 Finger Lakes This label is a selection of the best barrels from the warmest vintages, only sold in the tasting room. Nose: again, like the music of Chopin: elegant, with ripe red fruits and perfumed spice reminiscent of Margaux. Excellent balance of oak and fruit. Palate: smooth, ripe, round, firm tannins, great finesse and integration. Young but well-knit. 13.5% alc. Interestingly, this wine is 40% petit verdot, the red Bordeaux grape that is changing the meritage equation in Virginia. I had thought this grape wouldn’t ripen or over-winter well in the Finger Lakes, but then Meaghan told me this is grown in southeast Seneca Lake, the region’s “banana belt.” Other grapes: 20% each both cabernets and merlot. Only two barrels. Not just stylish but world-class.

Late Harvest Wines

♦2015 Gewurztraminer Finger Lakes (30% botrytis, 4% residual sugar): Nose is closed at first, then some spice. Palate: tastes dry from concentration of botrytis; needs time but worth the weight (heh).

♦2014 Reserve Riesling Finger Lakes (8.5 g/l TA, 6% residual sugar): Nose: can pick up the 50% botrytis from smoky apricot. Palate: dense, rich, high acid and sugar, but both finely balanced. Will need years to come around but worth the…

♦2013 Late Harvest Riesling Finger Lakes 12% alcohol, 28% sugar at harvest. Nose: layered apple and apricot aromas. Palate: Wow-juicy, rich, layered peach/apricot. Rich but still elegant.

Keuka Lake Vineyard & Winery

This very small winery is the first one you reach driving up the steep hill towards the larger, more famous Bully Hill, Heron Hill and Dr. Frank wineries; if you blink you’ll pass it. Still, it’s worth the visit and tasting. There are a number of fine, dry single vineyard rieslings, as well as brilliant Loire Valley-style fruit-driven cabernet francs from 2013 and 2014. The house specialty though is the sister seedling of the French hybrid Marechal Foch: the obscure but very worthwhile Leon Millot. How worthwhile? Well, the 2010 vintage from Keuka Lake won the New York Governor’s Cup award in 2011, beating out scores of rieslings and red vinifera wines from all over the state. I tasted that wine, and the award was appropriate.

2014 East Side Dry Riesling: Nose: a bit of spice but tight. Palate: dry, elegant but tastes like whole cluster-pressed, light and subtle with a fine texture and high acid and crisp finish.

Cabernet Franc 2013 Finger Lakes: Nose: fragrant red cherry fruit. Palate: nice ripe red cherry with lively acid, still very young.

♦Cabernet Franc 2014 Finger Lakes: Nose: mature, ripe and fragrant perfumed black cherry. Palate: lively, fresh, fruit-driven varietally correct. A great Finger Lakes interpretation with great fruit/acid balance.

Leon Millot “Fils de Fournier” 2014: Now the famous Leon Millot vineyard that produced the Governor’s Cup wine in 2011 was planted by Charles Fournier in 1957 or so and as you can appreciate is low-yielding and also sold out. Owner Mel Goldman took cuttings from this vineyard, grafted them and planted a new vineyard on east Keuka Lake named “Fils de Fournier”, and for young vines, this red French hybrid has a lot going on, showing the pedigree of its parent vineyard. Color is very dark ruby. Nose: fragrant cherries and plums, red and black, reminiscent of Cru Beaujolais. On the palate, juicy, solid firm black fruits, some malic acid tartness. Fragrant cherry and plum flavors. Young, needs time but promising. For Wine Club members only.

I had to drive on to Syracuse to judge in the New York State Fair Wine Competition and sadly didn’t have time to visit more favorite wineries on Keuka Lake, but another time…

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