I've been a bit slow tasting through samples of late, but here are a few wines that I have tasted but will not receive full published reviews. All five are varietal chardonnay, and while some are well made, none was particularly interesting or inspiring.
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(1.5 out of 5 | Not Recommended-to-Average)
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(2 out of 5 | Average)
(2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
As you've read here and elsewhere, to tell the story of the 2005 vintage is really to tell two separate tales -- one before the October deluge and one after.
That deluge lasted eight days and dumped as many as 20 inches of rain on some vineyards. Some wineries weren't willing to risk waiting, harvesting their reds before the rains hit. One even stopped picking chardonnay, leaving it to the elements, to pick reds.
The before-or-after decision wasn't a simple one, nor was it one-dimensional. If you waited until after the rains, how long did you wait? How much of your crop was rendered useless due to berry splitting?
2005 could have been a banner year, but it ended up being an inconsistent one from producer to producer.
The merlot (85%), petit verdot, cabernet franc and malbec that went into this Shinn Estate Vineyards Nine Barrels Merlot ($43) after the rains, and they clearly made good decisions along the way.
The nose is expressive, showing rich, intense blackberry and blueberry fruit with Thai basil, violet and subtle toasty vanilla accents.
On the medium-bodied palate, the fruit is ripe, but restrained, with dark fruit flavors (blackberry, blueberry and a little plum) with more Thai basi/anise character along with sweet, minty herbs. The finish is medium-long with blueberries and a lightly earthy note at the very end.
Ripe, well-incorporated tannins of medium intensity make this wine approachable today, but short-term (3-5 years) development is easy to predict.
Only 225 cases were made (9 French oal barrels, 4 of which were new).
NOTE: David Page, co-owner of Shinn Estate Vineyards has announced (via Twitter) that anyone mentioning this LENNDEVOURS review gets a 20% discount on purchases of this wine.
Producer: Shinn Estate Vineyards
Price:
$43*
ABV: 12.8%
Rating: 
(3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
Merriam-Webster Online defines the word coalescence:
Given that, the folks at Shinn Estate Vineyards have chosen an unique, apt name for this blend of 54% chardonnay 23% sauvignon blanc 13% viognier 10% merlot, Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Coalescence ($14 at the tasting room).
The four wines were vinified separately, and then came together, or "coalesced" into one wine.
That 10% merlot, which was actually merlot blanc, gives this "white wine" a mere suggestion of pink.
This bottle showed a little stinky sulphur when first opened, but that quickly dissipated with zesty citrus, melon, white cherry and subtle her aromas emerging.
Medium-light in body, the flavors very closely match the nose, maybe with a bit more melon and the addition of a lightly floral note. The acidity is fresh and citrusy. The finish crisp, inviting another sip, but pretty short.
For $14 (and you can probably find it for $12 at some local shops), it's a nice value for every day drinking or if you want to serve local wine at your next summer party.
Producer: Shinn Estate Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long ISland
ABV: 12.8%
Price: $14*
Rating:
(2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and PublisherGewurztraminer is the sometimes-forgotten grape of the Finger Lakes, often playing a distant second fiddle to riesling. But if you find yourself touring any of the lakes' 100+ wineries, you will find a lot of good, and sometimes great, Gewurztraminer.
Rooster Hill Vineyards 2007 Gewurztraminer ($16) shows why Gewurzt is one of the most aromatic grapes around. The nose is effusive with pineapple and apricot fruit aromas mingling with ginger, spice and white flowers.
The palate is medium-bodied with apricot, pineapple and spice flavors. The acidity is fresh, balancing the light residual sugar well. The mid-palate has a light creaminess to it, which gives way to medium-long, citrusy finish with hints of minerals.
Not a mind-blowing Gewurzt, but at $16 a good value. Rooster Hill is still a relatively new producer, but they are putting out some very good wines, wines that seem to improve with each vintage.
Producer: Rooster Hill Vineyards
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 11.7%
Price: $16*
Rating:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(Ratings Guide)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
I've said it a million times and I'll say it again -- there is little doubt that sauvignon blanc is the white-wine future of Long Island. And, year after year, a unique regional is emerging -- one with bright citrus fruit, accented by herbs that are less overwhelming than wines from New Zealand, and minerality that is less intense perhaps than Sancerre. And, unlike sauvignon from the left coast, the wines are focused and well balanced by refreshing acidity.
These are generalizations, of course, but it's an emerging style and I'm just trying to position it within other generalized styles from other regions.
Chris Tracy, winemaker at Channing Daughters Winery, does beautiful things with white wines, so it comes as no surprise that he's leading the pack in the develpoment of that signature style for Long Island sauvignon blanc.
He makes two versions, including this Channing Daughters Winery 2008 Mudd Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($20), which is almost entirely sauvignon blanc with 3% Musque clone chardonnay blended in. All of the fruit was grown in Steve Mudd's vineyard on the North Fork of Long Island.
Bottled in late February, it's a pale straw yellow and shows clean aromas of grapefruit, lemon, honedew, citrus blossom and the sea.
The medium-bodied palate is very lively with acidity and shows focused citrus and melon flavors up front that become minerally and herbal as you taste and swallow each sip. I don't each much seafood, but it's hard to imagine a better wine to enjoy with local shellfish this summer. Or, and this is something I do eat, fresh goat cheese.
Grape(s): 97% sauvignon blanc, 3% chardonnay
Producer: Channing Daughters Winery
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
ABV: 12%
Price: $20
Rating:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(Ratings Guide)
Okay, I've finally done it -- my first video tasting note. The video quality, admittedly, isn't great for much of the clip, but now that I know my Flip Mino doesn't handle closeups very well, we'll work on that. Maybe I'll even appear on camera one day. For now, I'm just learning the best way to use the camera.
The name New York Wine TV is obviously a working one as well -- pretty boring. But, I want to get more video on LENNDEVOURS and this is one way to do it.
I also know that Evan is at a vertical tasting today with his new Flip camera, so there's another source of sure-to-be-interesting video blogging.
Here are the quick-hit reviews for wines that I tasted this week that didn't make it into full reviews:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
(3 out of 5 | Recommended) (1.5 out of 5 | Not Recommended-to-Average) (2 out of 5 | Average)By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
One should never assume that the wineries with the best reputations make the best wines. In fact, I'm often skeptical of these "best" wineries.
Sometimes wineries that worked hard to earn their reputations rest on their laurels a bit, feeling as though they've arrived at the pinnacle of the industry.
Others never truly earned their place at all, instead relying on superior marketing and public relations.
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, on the western side of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York is one winery that not only earned its reputation as a leading producer, but is showing no signs of slowing down in its drive for even higher heights.
Take this Hermann J. Wiemer 2007 Dry Riesling ($17.50) for instance.
Winemaker Fred Merwarth makes seven different rieslings, including two single-vineyard wines, a late harvest, a TBA-style, a Reserve and then two "regular" bottlings. This is one of those "regular" wines, and it's delicious. It seems silly to call it "regular" really.
The nose is somewhat floral with light petrol notes, but it's dominated by that classic peach-lime-wet stone combination I've noticed in many of the Finger Lakes' best rieslings. If you want to know what "a typical Finger Lakes riesling" smells like, this is it.
The feather-light palate is alive with citrusy acidity -- more than many 2007s -- that more than balances the .9% residual sugar. Peach and lime flavors dominate here, with white flowers and super-subtle sweet herbs behind. The petrol notes from the nose are barely noticeable on palate, but there is a terrific minerally vein throughout.
A long, peachy finish ends with a citrus zest note.
I don't want to overuse the word "classic" here, but this is a classic Finger Lakes riesling, and it's very well priced.
Producer: Herman J. Wiemer Vineyard
AVA: Finger Lakes
Price: $17.50*
Rating: 
(4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive
)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
Heron Hill Winery is one of many Finger Lakes wineries that try to appeal to a wide audience. On one hand, winemaker Thomas Laszlo makes a couple of my favorite Finger Lakes rieslings. He also makes some delicious dessert wines. Anything designated "Ingle Vineyard" can be counted on for deliciousness as well.
On the other hand, not every tasting room visitor is going to drop $30 for the reserve riesling, so he also makes a pile of mediocre wines, some under the "Game Bird" label. Those wines are all under $15 and appeal to a wide audience. That's probably the audience that keeps the lights on.
This riesling, Heron Hill Winery's 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling ($13), which is made from grapes grown througout New York (inlcuding Lake Erie and Long Island) shows ripe peach and honeyed citrus on the nose.
The medium-to-light-bodied palate features straight-forward peach flavors, with something akin to watermelon rind there too. With 2.5% residual sugar and not quite enough acidity to truly balance it, this wine defintely tastes sweet. The finish, which I'd like to be a bit drier as well is short as well.
You can do far worse for $13, but there are better wines at that price point too. The Heron Hill Reserve, Ingle Vineyard and Old Vines rieslings are so much better, and the Ingle Vineyard wine is only a few dollars more.
Producer: Heron Hill Winery
AVA: New York
ABV: 11.5%
Price: $13*
Rating: (2 out of 5 | Average)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
One of the things that I always struggle with is how to get more wines, more reviews, onto LENNDEVOURS. To make the time to write full reviews of everything I taste, I'd have to quit my day job, move out of my house and leave my family. I'd be living on the street and miserable, but hey, I'd be publishing more reviews.
To address this challenge, I'm going to try a something I'm calling the LENNDEVOURS Tasting Table, where I'll give quick-hit reviews of the wines I tasted in the past week that didn't get full reviews. I'm still working out the details of why wine X gets a full review and wine Y doesn't, but I'm hoping that this process works itself out. So there are the other New York wines that I tasted this week:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
(2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
By Lenn Thompson, Publisher and Editor
When Anthony Nappa, winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards, interviewed for the job, he had two questions of his own for the owners, could he bring his dog to work, and could he make his own wine?
I've seen his dog at the winery myself and with the release of Anthony Nappa Wines 2008 Anomaly ($18), the second question is answered as well. His second wine, the Anthony Nappa Wines 2008 Nemesis, will be released this weeked. Both are available at Shinn's tasting room and both wines are 100% pinot noir sourced on the North Fork. The Anomaly is a white wine, while Nemesis is a more traditional pinot.
Why would he put himself through the pain of making pinot noir on Long Island, a cool, humid region? It's simple: "Part of the reason is because I love pinot, and part of the reason is because everyone says pinot cannot be done well on Long Island. I know it can, and I enjoy the challenge of working with such a hard grape," he says.
And when I asked him why he decided to make a white pinot, he told me that "making a white wine out of pinot gives me a pure expression of Long Island pinot noir, brought down to its basics, and allows me to better understand the nuances of the variety grown here." Of course, he knows that it's a little off the beaten path, it's called Anomaly after all.
After tasting this wine for myself, I can say that I've found a Nappa wine I can recommend. Notice the second "p" in Nappa.
As with all the wines made at Shinn Estate, all of the fruit was hand harvested and sorted in the field. Then, it was de-stemmed but not crushed, and hand sorted on a sorting table. The fruit was then processed by gravity, to the press, where it was very gently pressed to minimize color extraction, like a Champagne. The wine was fermented cold, slow and aged without oak or malolactic fermentation
It is also worth noting that Anthony doesn't use enzymes or tannins in his winemaking. He only uses a little bit of sulfur and "Some are inoculated with yeast, and some are wild fermented, but none of the wines get DAP, only certified organic yeast nutrients if they need them."
I didn't get a very good picture of the wine, but its nearly colorless with only the faintest suggestion of pink. Unless you're looking for it, you may not even see it.
You're reminded that this is pinot noir once its aromas greet your nose, however. Delicate aromas of wweet red cherry, strawberry and strawberry hull are accented with a light note of sweet herb way in the back that became more apparent as the wine warmed to room temperature.
On the palate, it is mouth-filling, with a beautiful silky texture (this is pinot, remember?) that delivery clean, bright red fruit flavors, framed by good acid backbone.
Producer: Anthony Nappa Wines
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $18*
Rating:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
By Lenn Thompson, Publisher and Editor
May is Riesling Month in the Finger Lakes, but somehow this is my first Finger Lakes riesling review this month. Look for more riesling reviews this week and next (I'm tasting a lot of them lately, just haven't written them up yet).
Before we get to today's wine, a little background on Billsboro Winery. It's located on the west side of Seneca Lake, just south of the city of Geneva, NY and is owned by Kim and Vinny Aliperti. Vinny, who makes the wines, also serves as winemaker at Atwater Estate Vineyards, which is right across the lake.
I've enjoyed Vinny's Atwater wines for some time now for their balance, focus and value. This Billsboro Winery 2007 Dry Riesling ($16) fits within that framework though with a bit more opulent fruit and lower acidity -- both the result of the warm 2007 growing season.
The nose is bright with lush peach and apricot aromas and light honeyed citrus character.
Ripe and juicy up front, it's much more mouth-filling than I've come to expect from dry Finger Lakes rieslings. Peach and pear flavors dominate here with a squirt of lime juice. There's enough acidity here to balance all that fruit, but it doesn't show the tension and verve that are apparent in cooler, more-typical years.
Producer: Billsboro Winery
AVA: Finger Lakes
RS: .75%
Price: $16
Rating:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
There's been a lot of TasteCamp content this week (for obvious reasons) so let's get back to some of the actual wines being made in New York. Not that this wine doesn't have a TasteCamp connection -- we tasted this Roanoke Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc ($32) on our visit to Roanoke Vineyards Saturday morning.
As you've probably read elsewhere, 2006 wasn't a great vintage for reds on Long Island. It was cooler growing season and was marked by a lot of overcast days and higher-than-average rainfall. Still, even in down years, the best producers put out quality wines, like this one.
The nose on this ruby-brick red shows sweet red fruit aromas -- cranberry and red cherry -- with vanilla, a bit too much oak, toasted nuts, tobacco leaf and hints of anise.
The medium-bodied palate is a little earthier than the nose, with the leafy, oaky notes more pronounced and fruit a bit subdued on the forepalate. The sweet vanilla cran-cherry flavors come back on the mid-palate and contnue through a medium-long finish, where they are joined by dusty earthy and cocoa powder flavors. The tannins are relatively light, but food-friendly acidity brings structure.
There might be a bit too much oak here for the fruit, but it's not over the top.
Grape(s): 87.5% cabernet franc, 6.25% cabernet sauvignon, 6.25% merlot
Producer: Roanoke Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
ABV: 13.2%
Price: $32
Rating:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(Ratings Guide)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
Well folks, it would appear that my first official review of a 2008 Finger Lakes riesling is of a wine made and bottled by a Long Island winery.
Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard, located in (you guessed it) Baiting Hollow, NY is the first tasting room you come across as you head east on South Avenue/Route 48 and they are often swamped with people on weekend and during the pumpkin-picking season.
Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard and its wines reside somewhere in the middle of Long Island wine. Their wines are often good, not great, and none of them retails for more than $21. In an industry with sweet, magnum-bottled blends of dubious origin on one end and $125 merlot on the other, Baiting Hollow is perfectly middle class.
This riesling fits that model a bit too.
They are planting their own riesling vines this spring, but as I mentioned earlier, this wine was made from grapes grown in the Finger Lakes.
I really like the nose on this riesling. It shows nice green apple and just-ripe peach aromas with a little spicy-floral note in the background.
With 2% residual sugar, it's clearly made in the popular "off-dry" style. The flavors are fruity -- apple, peach and a little melon -- but it really lacks the acidity needed to bring balance, especially on the finish where a little citrus peeks through.
This is the kind of riesling that will probably fly off the shelf in their tasting room, but I prefer my riesling a bit more racy.
Producer: Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard
AVA: New York
ABV: 12%
Price: $18
Rating: (2 out of 5 | Average)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
When it comes to Long Island sauvignon blanc, there is a small group of wineries that can be counted on to deliver consisten quality. Macari Vineyards is one of those wineries and puts out one of the region's best sauvignons.
This is a wine that I look forward to every spring (when its released) and drink plenty of all summer long, even if I don't eat all of the great local shellfish that this wine is seemingly destined to be enjoyed with.
Most of the grapes than went into Macari Vineyards 2008 "Katherine's Field" Sauvignon Blanc ($22) come from their Block K (Katherine's Field), which is the part of their vineyard closest to the Long Island Sound between 100 and 150 feet above sea level.
Farmed to 2.5 tons per acre, the fruit was hand harvested, steel fermented and malolactic fermentation was strictly avoided.
This year's wine is far lighter in color that previous vintages. The green-yellow is so light that the wine is nearly colorless. The nose is nicly citrusy and grassy with hints of basil and gooseberries.
On the palate, it's a bit more delicate than past years, but it shows tremendous balance between citrusy fruit flavors, savory herb and grass notes, and snappy, lively acidity. The finish is lengthy with persistent saline minerality that the best Long Island sauvignon often has.
Grape(s): 100% sauvignon blanc
Producer: Macari Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
ABV: 13%
Price: $22
Rating:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(Ratings Guide)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
A quick review of a very affordable local sauvignon blanc this Monday morning.
I really liked the 2006 edition of this wine for it's light, easy-drinking style and price. Well, Osprey's Dominion Vineyards' 2007 Sauvignon Blanc ($13) keeps the price down in the "daily drinking" zone and, despite the vastly different growing 2007 growing season, brings very similar aromas and flavors to the table.
Even with the ripe growing season, this isn't a big aggressive sauvignon. Intead, light lemon and grapefruit aromas mingle with golden delicious apple and subtle herbs on a medium-intense nose.
Medium bodied with fresh acidity, the flavors are fairly simple -- grapefruit, lemon and kiwi -- with just a little herbaceousness. The finish is medium-length with a little minearlity.
Grape(s): 100% sauvignon blanc
Producer: Osprey's Dominion Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $13
Rating: 
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
I had a feeling that the new Gewurztraminers from Red Newt Cellars would illicit a response from a few readers. I just knew that some people would have a negative reaction to the prices, regardless of quality.
The price of New York wines -- the truths and the myths -- is another topic for another time (and soon) though. Today, I want to tell you a bit about the other single-vineyard Gewurztraminer made in 2007 by Dave Whiting at Red Newt.
After much deliberating, I can now say that Red Newt Cellars 2008 Curry Creek Vineyard Gewurztraminer ($41) is my favorite of the two wines, maybe because it's a bit more "classic Gewurztraminer."
Compared to its sister wine, this is definitely the big brother. The nose, while still a bit taut, is spicy, with ginger, ripe pear and minerals.
The palate brings big spice, lychee and mineral flavors along with more pear and apple ripeness. The mid-palate is slightly juicy but the acidity is big and crunchy, pointing to potential longevity. The finish is long and dry with orange pith bitterness.
This is a real Gewurztraminer-lover's Gewurztraminer. I happen to be one and I really enjoyed this one -- especially on day two when the nose was a bit more expressive.
Producer: Red Newt Cellars
AVA: Finger Lakes
Price: $41
Rating:
(4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive
)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
When I heard that Red Newt Wine Cellars was releasing two single-vineyard Gewurztraminers, I was intrigued. Did the two vineyards really warrant separate bottlings, or was it a marketing ploy along the lines of "reserve" labels?
And when I heard they were price at $36 and $42, I'll admit that I even thought to myself "Have they lost their minds?"
Now that I've tasted them, I can say definitively that yes, the two vineyards (in 2007 anyway) led to distinct wines worthy of single-vineyard labeling.
Are the prices exorbitant? That's really up to you, but I can tell you this: these are expressive, distinctive wines that deserve your attention and show what is possible in the Finger Lakes with the 'other' aromatic white grape. You know, the one that isn't riesling.
The nose on this Red Newt Cellars 2007 Sawmill Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer ($36), made with fruit from Jim Hazlitt's Sawmill Creek Vineyard, is an attractive melange of juicy ripe pears, dried orange peel, kiwi and white flowers with subtle spice and lychee notes in the background.
Elegant, mouthwatering pear and kiwi fruit flavors dominate the medium-bodied palate, with candied ginger, spice and floral notes bringing nuance. This wine's balance, brought about by tongue-tingling acidity, and it's long orange-peel inflected finish are what really helps it stand out.
Check back next week for my review of Red Newt Cellars' 2007 Curry Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer.
Producer: Red Newt Cellars
AVA: Finger Lakes
Price: $36
Rating:
(4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive
)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
Because I have to taste several Kosher wines for WBW #56 tomorrow, today's review is going to be a quick one for a simple, but solid Pindar Vineyards 2007 Peacock Chardonnay ($11).
This chardonnay was ermented in stainless steel and with an unknown amount of oak aging (the website doesn't say), this wine is very fruity on the nose with pineapple and pear aromas backed by hints vanilla and even some citrus blossom.
As I said, simple, but solidly made, the palate is medium-bodied with more pear-pineapple flavors, a bit more vanilla and just a sprinkle of toasty oak in the background. Good, but not great acidity, brings balance and there is an interesting grapefruit note on the average finish.
The tropical, fruity character reminds me a bit of some Aussie chards I've tasted, but there's better acidity here. It's a good example of the kind of wine I'd expect to get if I were to order a "glass of chardonnay" at a bar. Not that I would... but if I did, I'd be happy with this.
It's not distinctive, but for $11, it delivers good fruit and enough acidity.
Producer: Pindar Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long ISland
ABV: 12.8%
Price: $11
Rating:
(2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
Cabernet franc is a wine that comes in many styles across New York state. One one end of the spectrum, you have winemakers who eschew oak completely. On the other end, you have the winemakers who treat cabernet franc like it's cabernet sauvignon blanc, extending maceration and bludgeoning it with new oak.
I guess what I'm saying is that there isn't a clearly defined New York style cabernet franc yet. Nor is there a distinct style for Long Island, the Finger Lakes, etc. either.
This unoaked rendition, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars' 2007 T23 Cabernet Franc ($15) makes a strong case for the no-oak style.
The nose is bright with tart cherries blackberries up front and layers of violets, lavender, thyme and subtle earthy spice.
On the palate, it's fresh and light-to-medium bodied with black cherry and blackberry fruit that is slightly juicy. The herb notes carry over, with light tannins and food-friendly acidity giving the wine just enough structure. the finish is medium-short, but features a nice spice note.
For $15, this is the kind of cabernet franc that I'd make my house wine. It should be versatile at the dinner table, and it's a good example of how a wine doesn't need to be big and hulking (or oaked) to be delicious.
Producer: Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 12.4%
Price: $15
Rating:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(Ratings Guide)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and PublisherThey don't always get a lot of attention, but there are quite a few late harvest and ice-style wines being made on Long Island. I say "ice-style" because the local versions of those wines are typically harvested long before they freeze on the vine, frozen in commercial freezers and pressed from there.
This wine, Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Himmel ($31) is one of those commercially frozen wines, made with 60% riesling and 40% Gewurztraminer from the producer's own vines.
What works about the best local dessert wines is acidity to balance out all of that sugar. We can thank cool evenings, even in the height of summer, for the kind of slow ripening that leads to balanced wines.
Except 2007 was warmer than most -- great for reds and some whites -- but that ripeness (and lack of acidity) is apparent in this wine.
Medium-gold in the glass, the enticing nose blends honey with dried apricot, peaches and subtle citrus blossoms. Perhaps a little botrytis?
The palate shows great flavor -- honey-roasted apples, faint brown spice -- but low acidity leaves it feeling flat, actually flabby, in the mouth. The finish is very long with that brown spice really stepping forward, but the near-cloying sugar-to-acid ratio here keep this from being a truly special wine.
Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long ISland
ABV: 12.5%
Price: $31
Rating: (2 out of 5 | Average)
I'm not sure when I first stumbled upon my now-friend Dave Honig's blog, 2 Days per Bottle, but I do know that it changed the way that I taste and review wines.
I've always frowned upon the "power tasting" that some publications employ -- tasting wines in rapid succession, in a near-clinical environment, spending no more than a few minutes with each wine. Instead, I have always preferred to taste wines over the course of an evening, with and without dinner or other food, to evaluate them in a way more similar to how people actually drink wine.
But Dave's blog has helped me take it even further. On his blog, he answers the question "Why two days per bottle?" this way:
So, for several months now, I've been tasting wines for at least two days before disposing of the leftovers and writing my final notes. Nena's not happy with this shift, only because our kitchen counter often has 6-10 bottles of wine on it for a couple days after my weekly tastings.
Damiani Wine Cellars 2007 Cabernet Franc ($23) is the kind of wine that needs two days (or more) to really taste and get a sense for.
Right out of the bottle, on day one, I didn't like this wine very much. It had some nice dark fruit, but with a weird chlorine-like aroma that was more than a little off putting. If I hadn't tasted this wine again the second (and third, actually) day, this isn't the review I'd be writing.
Ripe, just-crushed black cherries and blackberries dominate the nose, with dusty cocoa powder and hints of cola, root beer and jalapeno pepper.
The palate is medium bodied, with flavors that closely match the nose -- especially those dark fruits. The smooth tannins are a bit bigger than you might expect and this wine also shows good acidity -- both leading me to believe that it will age well for five years or more.
This wine also serves as a reminder that many of New York's smallest wineries need to release wines long before they really should (or would probably want to), but that's a post for another time. Just know that this wine is not showing its best yet -- far from it.
Producer: Damiani Wine Cellars
AVA: Finger Lakes
Price: $23
ABV: 12.8%
Rating:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(Ratings Guide)
Roman Roth, the German-born winemaker at Wolffer Estate and Roanoke Vineyards, released the first wine under his own The Grapes of Roth label in the summer of 2006. That 2001 merlot, was a beautiful wine from one of Long Island's best vintages. It also received a 91-point score from Wine Advocate. His 2002, which garnered a 92-point score, will probably prove to be the longer lived of the two.
Last weekend, I tasted the newly released The Grapes of Roth 2003 Merlot ($50) for the first time. While not without its own merits, it just doesn't stand up to the previous vintages.
The grapes that went into this wine come from Sam McCullough's vineyard on the North Fork. McCullough is the vineyard manager at Lenz Winery and is one of the region's best growers, which is no doubt why Roman sources his merlot for GoR from Sam's vineyard.
But, 2003 wasn’t a great vintage for Long Island wines — especially reds. It's not that it was a cold growing season. Or even a rainy one for most of the season. The spring and summer months were fairly typical (in a good way). But, rain and then two October frosts caused problems for many growers.
Once the frost kills the vines’ canopy, photosynthesis stops and the grapes won't ripen further. You can talk about “hang time” (on the vine) all you want, but without the sugar factory, the grapes won’t develop any further.
Deeply colored a rich garnet-purple, this wine's nose is intense and shows great nuance and depth. The fruit aromas move from dark cherry to black raspberry to blueberry and back. There is also a distinct dried cherry note and toasty oak character here.
The toasty edge of the nose is very different on the palate, taking center stage. The 21 months this wine spent in barrel is much more apparent, almost overwhelming at this stage in the wine's development. Dried cherry, fig and dusty cocoa flavors emerge when the wine is allowed to breath over night and the tannins are
well integrated, but overall, I'm left wanting a bit more fruit and perhaps a bit less oak.
Producer: The Grapes of Roth
AVA: Long Island
ABV: 13.5%
Price: $50
Rating:
(3 out of 5 | Recommended)
(Ratings Guide)
Most of the pinot gris coming out of the Finger Lakes (or Long Island for that matter) is mediocre at best, barely a step up from the lemon-water pinot grigio that you'll find at most every bar and restaurant.
As with every wine generalization, there are exceptions of course. For instance, I almost always like Channing Daughters Winery's Pinot Grigio and now I can add a second wine to the "good New York pinot gris/grigio" list: Red Newt Cellars 2007 Curry Creek Vineyards 2007 Pinot Gris ($24)
Right out of the fridge (when the wine was over-chilled) this wine wasn't giving up much on the nose or palate. But, as it warmed just a bit, the nose opened up, showing ripe, juicy pear and apple flavors with nutty-almond and citrus blossom accents.
On the palate, this is medium-to-full bodied and broad, filling the mouth with bright apple and almond flavors, with hints of succulent sweet melon and flowers. Bright acidity cuts that broadness, bringing near-perfect balance. The The finish is medium-long and ends on a clean minerally note that definitely invites another sip.
After my tasting, I enjoyed a glass of this with an assortment of artisan cheeses and it worked wonderfully. Dry riesling is still my go-to for cheese, but this was delicious as well.
Producer: Red Newt Cellars
Price:
$24
ABV: 14.1%
Rating: (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious).
One of the great things about fermented grape juice is that no matter how much you know or how much you think you know, you never know everything.
Wine can and will surprise you.
Take this Pindar Vineyards 2001 Mythology ($30), for instance. I don't think anyone would argue that Pindar is one of Long Island's top, quality-focused producers. They aren't, but they are great at introducing people to wine with their sweeter, simpler wines. Every wine region has their Pindar. And it could be said that every region needs their Pindar.
Regardless of Pindar's place in the local industry, I've enjoyed several of their wines in the past. But none as much as I enjoyed this wine.
Made with 33% cabernet franc, 21% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 20% petite verdot and 6% malbec, this is proof that, when Pindar wants to, it is capable of making excellent wine.
The extremely expressive nose is very Old World, with black raspberry, tobacco, fresh and dried cherries and pencil lead aromas. The palate is medium bodied dry, complex and extremely well balanced. Dark cherry flavors dominate at first, with hints of vanilla and tobacco, but as the wine opens up in the glass, plummy flavors emerge along with dried leaves, more pencil lead and a light sprinkling of black pepper. The finish is medium-long and earthy, with just a little spice.
Lovers of big fruit may not like this as much, but those (like myself) who like the earthy secondary flavors should.
Producer: Pindar Vineyards
Price:
$30
Rating: (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious).
Recent Comments