New York Cork Report

The New York Cork Report Tasting Table -- April 17, 2012

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

I keep trying to retire the "Tasting Table" series, but my recently chaotic day job along with the all-consuming reality of an infant and a 5-year old have once again reminded me that no matter how obsessed I am with local wines, beers etc. and this website -- it's still a hobby. Add to that the fact that we'll be cutting over to our new site design and platform soon (maybe even next week) and Tasting Table remains a valuable tool. I'd like to start things off at the new site fresh. Tasting Table will not be a part of the new NYCR, but it will be here. At least one more time.

As always, these are wines that crossed the NYCR tasting table at some point recently but for one reason or another, will not be reviewed in standalone posts. The notes are more or less straight from my notebook.

Atwater Estate Vineyards 2009 Riewurz ($18): Blend of 60% gewurzt, 40% riesling. Gingery nose with rose petals, grapefruit and lime. Medium-light body that starts out very gewurzt-y but finish is all riesling. Good balance, but lacks a bit of focus. Unique and tasty. Long finish of apple, peach and lime.

Atwater Estate Vineyards 2010 Dry Riesling ($16): Green apple, sweet lime and a little fennel frond on the nose. Feather light palate with more apple-lime flavors with notes of peach, fennel and slate. Good acidity and a dry finish that lingers gently.

Billsboro Winery 2010 Pinot Gris ($17): Grapefruit, citrus blossom and sweet apricot on a medium-light nose. Candied lemon leads the way with peach and light floral flavors beneath. Show a little of the RS (1.2%) on mid-palate but mostly dry on the finish. Good acidity but somewhat short finish.

Billsboro Winery 2010 Riesling ($16): Tangerine, grapefruit and pineapple on the nose. Grapefruit and orange peel flavors on the palate with slightly tropical hints. Shows RS (2.3%) but isn't cloying. Citrusy acidity brings balance. Somewhat showy style.

Grapes of Roth 2005 Merlot ($50): Nose of licorice, black cherry, leaf tobacco and pencil shavings/graphite. Ripe but not jammy, showing mixed cherry/cherry pit and tobacco flavors. Medium bodied with medium-intense tannins that are well integrated. Graphite/rocky finish that is long and shows a bit of dried herb as well.

Hudson-Chatham Winery 2010 Casscles Vineyard Reserve Baco Noir ($24): Sour cherry, cranberry, toasty oak, black pepper and vanilla on the nose. Medium body with lively acidity. Crunchy red fruit with black pepper and earth. Juice mid-palate but perhaps a bit short on the finish.

Hudson-Chatham Winery 2010 Field Stone Baco Noir ($30): Dark fruit -- black cherry and plum -- with mustard seed, violets and curry spice. Soft and lush with forward fruit, low tannins and just enough acidity. Plum, juicy and fruity. Long finish with subtle vanilla character.

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2010 Round Rock Riesling ($20): Minerally, slate-y nose with hints of yellow apple, lemon balm and tonic water. Generous palate with solid focus. Citrus and herbs mingle with pear and light peach flavors. Light RS brings weight. A bit more acidity would elevate.

Millbrook Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Franc ($18): Plum, blackberry, vanilla, dried leaves and brown spices on the nose. Medium body with plum and blackberry fruit flavors. Medium tannins that are well incorporated. Finish is of medium length with a hint of toasted, slightly bitter oak.

Millbrook Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir ($18): Nose of macerated strawberries, black cherry and button mushroom. Toasty, bitter oak a bit too heavy on top of dark, intense cherry flavors and big, dry tannins.

Millbrook Vineyards 2010 Tocai Friulano ($16): Clementines, persimmon, melon and peach aromas on a very fruity nose. Melange of peach, orange, lemon and pear on the palate. Fresh acidity that lingers. Simple and fruity, but also quite tasty.

Palaia Vineyards 2007 Traminette ($15): Very floral on the nose with slightly foxy aromas I don't usually find in traminette. One-note floral flavors with a bit of RS and not enough acidity. Ends up being soft and a bit watery on the finish.

Pindar Vineyards 2010 Viognier ($25): The nose shows just-cut melon, honeysuckle, spiced peach tea and subtle nuttiness. Sweet melon, spice and honeysuckle on the palate with a squirt of juicy citrus and spiced nuts. Very ripe on the mid-palate and the oak is restrained. Finish is a bit hot, but a note of hay is interesting at the end.

Raphael 2010 First Label Sauvignon Blanc ($26): Lemon, green apple and kiwi fruit aromas with honey and blanched almond notes. Fuller bodied and very citrusy. Bit lean on flavor but good balance. Slight saline quality to finish, that turns just a bit bitter.

Red Tail Ridge Winery 2010 Semi-Sweet Riesling ($14): Apricot -- fresh and dried -- with hints of mango and lime on the nose. Friendly style with gobs of sweet, juicy fruit -- apricot, peach and pineapple. Rich mid-palate but nice cut of acidity on the finish to bring just enough focus. Finish is pretty long.

Roanoke Vineyards 2010 "The Wild" Chardonnay ($20): Light vanilla over top of peach, apple and high-toned herbs. Medium body with butterscotch and ripe, juicy fruit. Medium-long finish with nice acidity and balance. Appetite-whetting finisih with pineapple and Asian pear notes.

Sherwood House Vineyards 2008 Chardonnay ($30): Pure pear aromas accented by vanilla, toasty oak and roasted hazelnuts. Round, opulent palate with nice, integrated acidity to keep it balanced. Pear and toffee flavors lead into more nuts and vanilla. Long finish with crisp apple and a bit of lemon zest at the very end.

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($41): Blueberry and cassis aromas mingle with notes of smoked meat, chicory coffee and dark chocolate. Hefty and slightly hot (15.4%) on the palate, showing fruit that edges on over-ripe but holds on, with chocolate, coffee and oak notes. Ripe, slightly edgy tannins provide structure. After a few hours open, a pretty minty note emerges.

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2010 Haven ($36): 84% sauvignon blanc with 16% semillon. Complex nose of melon, fig, nutty oak, dried apricot and golden raisin. Rich and dry on the palate, it shows dried fruit and nut flavors layered on top of melon and peach. A bit more acidity would help enliven the palate.

Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2008 "Caya" Cabernet Franc ($40): Cherries, tobacco, sweet cedar and green peppercorn aromas lead into medium-light body with similar flavors with caramel added. Lacks fruit just a bit, but well made.

Zugibe Vineyards 2008 Dry Riesling ($13): Citrus and petrol aromas dominate. Not big on flavor -- again mostly citrus and petrol. Dry with very good acidity and focus. Right on the edge of the "citrus water" style of dry riesling.

Zugibe Vineyards 2009 Late Harvest Riesling ($22): Honey, botrytis and pineapple on the nose. Shows its RS, but finishes nearly dry. Very botrytis driven with secondary flavors of apricot, peach and pineapple. Long finish with orange and spice. Want a bit more acid and perhaps a bit mature for a 2009, but delicious.

Zugibe Vineyards 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling ($13): Nose shows citrus and apricot with hints of petrol. Palate is peachy but not intense, with light layers of lime and honey. Off-dry with good-no-great acidity.

Empire State Cellars Wine Club: May 2012 Selections

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

The May shipment of the Empire State Cellars Wine Club won't ship for a few weeks, but from now on, we're going to announce the selecitons at least a few weeks beforehand. That way, if you're not already a member but want the wines, you'll have time to join!

If you're not familiar with the club, you can learn more here.

"Hello New York" Wines

Channing Daughters Winery 2010 Scuttlhole Chardonnay: I prefer my chardonnay unadorned and clean -- usually the less oak the better. Winemaker Chris Tracy makes an array of chardonnays, but this one is my favorites -- all steel with ample fruit, a minerally vein and juicy acidity.

Medolla Vineyards 2007 Merlot: You may not know this one-wine winery, but Medolla is a name to know when it comes to value merlot on Long Island. Pure and expressive, this merlot is ripe, but not too ripe, showing restrained oak and good length with gently grippy tannins.

"Getting to Know New York" Wines

Lieb Family Cellars 2010 10th Anniversary Pinot Blanc: Complex with layers of almond, white pepper and candied orange peel sprinkled over juicy pears, this wine -- made for the first time to celebrate the winery's 10th anniversary -- balances richness with juicy acidity, resulting in a beautiful mouthfeel.

Lenz Winery 2007 Estate Selection Merlot: Eric Fry's winemaking is decidedly low-tech, and that hands-off approach lets this wine shine. Plump and juicy -- with little noticeable oak -- this is a wine that over-delivers with it's aromas and of red and black cherry, plums and a bit of blueberry compote. 

"New York Wine Trail" Wines

Paumanok Vineyards 2011 Chenin Blanc: The Massoud family has a cult following for this wine, one that expresses vintage variation as much as any on Long Island. While the 2010 was rich with sweet tropical fruit, this edition is more citrusy and saline with hints of melon. Local oysters dream about this wine.

Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2010 Syrah: Think Rhone rather than Australia with this wine from Niagara. Though young -- an hour or two in a decanter, or a few years in your cellar wouldn't hurt -- it shows beautiful, rich fruit, peppery spice and the kind of heft you want to heartier meals.

"Excelsior" Wines

Anthony Road Wine Company 2009 Martini-Reinhardt Selection Riesling: Really only available in the Anthony Road tasting room, we were able to procure a small parcel of this pure, complex and lengthy riesling that is absolutely delicious today but will reward those patient enough to cellar it. Simply stunning.

The Grapes of Roth 2005 Merlot: Veteran winemaker Roman Roth's personal label built its reputation on merlot. This elegant, nuanced merlot comes from Sam McCullough's vineyard and features cherry, licorice, tobacco, subtle dried herbs and graphite aromas and flavors. Again -- you can drink it today or park it in your cellar.

If you haven't signed up for the club yet, fear not. You can still get in on this first shipment. Email Katherine Jaeger, Manager of Wine Clubs, at [email protected] and she will take good care of you. And remember, you can customize your club to include just red or whites wines too if you'd like.

Standing Stone Vineyards Vertical Gewurztraminer Tasting: As Unique as the Grape

By Rochelle Bilow, Finger Lakes Food Correspondent

The wine tastings at Standing Stone Vineyards are hardly typical, but then again, owner and winemaker Marti Macinski isn’t your average wine industry professional. A former lawyer with a degree in piano performance and philosophy, Macinski purchased the winery with her husband Tom in 1991; they’ve been making wine since 1993.

On April 1, Standing Stone conducted a vertical gewurztraminer tasting, featuring six wines from their library: 1995, 1996, 1997, 2006, 2008 and the recently-released 2009.

With 9 of us seated in the main tasting room around a low picnic table outfitted in a white tablecloth, it felt more like an intimate gathering of friends than a strict and serious tasting.

“I just want to begin by stating that yes, we are wine geeks.’” Macinski started. “But our customers are, too, so I think that works.” She went on to explain that, unlike traditional tastings that focus solely on the wine at hand, we would be pairing food from the recently James Beard Award-nominated Dano’s Heuriger down the road. “I know that’s kind of quirky, but as soon as you take a sip of this wine, you’ll say ‘Ooh! I want a sausage! And some cheese!’ You’ll see. Pretend you’re in Alsace for the purpose of this tasting.”

Plates were passed of Dano’s signature cream cheese-based spread, olive bread, sausages and cabbage strudel. As we helped ourselves, Macinski began passing bottles in the order of ascending year, instructing us to pour a “one-ish ounce” taste for ourselves.

“The bottles are still dusty. I was going to clean them but then thought ‘No! It’s authentic!’” She dissolved into sheepish laughter after revealing the ‘96 cork a palmful of pieces that had crumbled during extraction.

The oldest three vintages were closed with natural cork - and all suffered the fate of the ’96 - but the ‘06, ‘08 an made use of a Nomacorc, and the ’09 made use of a technical cork. The technical cork is favored by Standing Stone because they believe most of their customers purchase wine for immediate consumption. “This number will shock you, but 98% of wine purchases are consumed within 24 hours,” Macinski said. “Knowing that, we didn’t want our customers to have to deal with broken natural corks.” Still, Macinski worries that the Nomacorc is allowing excessive air into the bottle, rapidly speeding the natural aging process.

Tasters were encouraged to sip at their own pace -- in whatever order they desired -- as Macinski discussed the finer points of the grape.

Macinski likes her Gewurztraminers big and bold, and that’s how Standing Stone makes them.

The grapes sit for a quick stint (24 to 96 hours, on average) with their skins, a move that doesn’t necessarily impart tannic structure, as with reds, but lends a bit more heft and body to the wine. “It gives it a certain ‘Gewurz-ness,’” Macinski explained with a shrug of her shoulders and another laugh.

I started with the 2009, a pale straw color in the glass with an orange blossom nose. “It has potential,” I wrote in my notes as Macinski alluded to as much. “It’s just not Gewurztraminer yet,” she said with a dreamy sigh. “Though this did get a nod from Wine Spectator as the daily pick on March 29.”

The 2008 was a huge lesson in contrast, the color of liquid gold with a nose that revealed so much musk I wrote “POW!” in my notes. It’s their current vintage, and after a “classically normal” growing year with plenty of sun, a fine and honest representation of Standing Stone’s distinctive style.

The 2006 was lush on the mid-palate, veering toward fat. While the rest of the older vintages we tasted were aging nicely, Macinski offered some simple advice. “Take it from a winemaker: drink this soon. It’s good.”

The 1997, a surprising and attractive lemon-lime color, was well-rounded and full, with qualities of cilantro and lime that cut through the richness, as well as lingering hints of cardamom. It was, by far, my favorite wine of the evening and paired extraordinarily well with the buttery pastry-encased cabbage strudel.

The 1996, a musty, heavier sample with an oily mouthfeel was revealed as Macinski’s favorite (though only after I asked).

The 1995 was largely considered by our group to be a bit past its prime, but I liked its austere and elegant qualities coupled with a perfume-packed nose.

The connective thread between all six vintages -- if there is one -- seemed most easily defined as a persistent pleasantly bitter edge (think Campari, rather than undressed dandelion greens) that was reminiscent of both fennel and grapefruit; a bit of a puzzle in an otherwise full and lusty white wine.

“That’s our region; it’s what we do. We have a great ‘green’ quality to this grape. Why not embrace the green?” Macinski said.

I tend to avoid organized wine tastings on account of a strong aversion to (and admittedly unfair generalization of them as) exercises in snobbery. But Standing Stone is doing something right with theirs. “We don’t just sit and drink,” said Macinski as the afternoon wrapped up. “We sit and eat and drink and talk.”

 

A Trip to the West Side (of Keuka Lake)

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Well, I’m once again the midst of my annual month-long break from alcohol –– but that doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy a trip to Finger Lakes wine country.

In need of a road trip and eager to take advantage of Wednesday’s lovely weather, I hopped in the car and headed to Keuka Lake for a long overdue visit. (Note: to the tasting room servers’ credit, I didn’t get a single stare or snide comment when I asked for a spit bucket, which I’ve heard can be a problem at many wineries. I thus managed to taste responsibly and maintain my detox.)

My first stop was Hunt Country Vineyards, where I finally got to meet marketing/PR manager Andy Marshall in person after months (years?) of tweeting back and forth. I enjoyed several of the wines, including the semi-dry Pearl and Valvin Muscat, which showed the right floral notes and balance to make me start craving South Asian cuisine, and the nutty, spicy cream sherry, which begged for awesome after-dinner cheese and dried fruit. But most of all I enjoyed talking with Andy –– we’re like-minded on an amazing number of topics and I always love getting his thoughtful opinion –– while his gigantic Bernese mountain dog, Pax, sat on my feet. 

On Andy’s recommendation I enjoyed a massive vegan sandwich at Medley’s Cafe in Prattsburgh (for the first time in my life onlookers actually suggested that I “take pictures of it and post it somewhere” –– which of course I did) and then headed to Hammondsport for a visit to Heron Hill Winery. With the stunning view of Keuka Lake to keep me company I enjoyed several of the wines but, as always, it was this winery’s riesling lineup that blew me away.

I went home with a bottle of 2009 Ingle Vineyard Riesling, which at about 2.5 % RS balances the acidity of that cool vintage deftly and is just starting to throw out a little petrol. That bottle won’t last long in my fridge once this “detox” is done.

My next stop was Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars, and perhaps I’m out of the wine loop after the past year in the “office job” world, but I didn’t expect to see gruner veltliner on the list! I enjoyed its delicate minerality and appreciated seeing the variety in this region; I’ve always thought more people should try it in New York.

My server recommended the 2010 Pinot Gris next, and he didn’t steer me wrong –– it was full, earthy, woodsy, and a real change from the other whites I’d tried that day in its dry-but-ripe character. I don’t often find pinot gris I enjoy but I always want to taste it out of curiosity, and I had to buy a bottle of this one. 

Now that I have a more flexible work schedule I hope to make several trips to my neighboring wine regions this summer, but this was an inspiring start to the season. And I now have four fantastic Finger Lakes bottles to enjoy as soon as my teetotaling month is up... if I can wait that long!

 

Villa Bellangelo: A California Family Brings New Ownership, New Winemaker, Lofty Goals and a Sense of History

One of the old vines at Villa Bellangelo that purportedly date from 1866

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor

A small cluster of vines dating to 1866 is, one would assume, the proudly held evidence of some European estate's history. Given the relatively short history of winemaking in the Finger Lakes, such a cluster of vines might seem out of place on Seneca Lake.

That is exactly why Chris Missick loves this little piece of local folklore. Because the vines are real, and so are his family's dreams of building something new and exciting around them.

Chris Missick looks like he was cut out of a piece of granite, and the photo of him holding a rifle while sitting on the back of a U.S. Army truck (he's on the right) is particularly gripping. He's a former-soldier-turned-California attorney, who is now moving with his family to the Finger Lakes, chasing down an unlikely dream. After all, Chris married a woman from France; if he were going to get into the wine business, one would expect to find him on a French estate.

Instead, he is scouring the records, trying to find out exactly who planted those 1866 vines, and how they survived for so long outside the construction site at Villa Bellangelo. Best he can tell, they are the oldest living vines in the region, and perhaps some of the oldest in the country.

"Those vines even predate Concord grapes," Chris told me as we discussed his family's purchase and expansion of the winery. "It's a reminder that this region has such a long and fascinating history. That means a lot to my family."

His family has local ties. His mother, Betty, grew up in the Rochester area, and the Missick family has moved back and forth from western New York to the southern California area. Chris' father Greg has a history in the construction business, which will help as they build a new, modern tasting room and a state-of-the-art crush pad.

But why wine? No one in the Missick family, including Chris' brother Matt, has experience in the industry. But after Chris' wedding in 2009, he and his family took a wine tour and finished with a stop at Villa Bellangelo. They began to wonder: What it would take to move the family to the Finger Lakes and get involved? For Sale signs had popped up in several locations, including Bellangelo.

The family purchase was completed this past fall, and already the Missicks have ambitious plans. For one, they've hired Ian Barry to be the full-time winemaker. Barry, a stalwart in the industry, had been making the wines at the highly regarded Keuka Lake Vineyards. He was hesitant to leave KLV (and he'll continue as a consultant), but this was the chance he had long imagined.

"It's an existing winery, but in a lot of ways, it's like building a winery from the ground up," he told me. "They've given me a lot of room to make decisions about which varieties to pursue, what direction to take the wine program."

Here's what consumers can expect from the new Villa Bellangelo.

Scooter Wines

The previous owners made a series of entry-level wines known as the Scooter Series. Those will continue, but Barry said they'll pare down the list of grapes used to make them. Chris Missick explained that the old 1866 vines are a reminder that this region has long embraced native (and eventually hybrid) grapes.

"When you're driving around the Finger Lakes in the fall, it's the native and hybrid grapes that you can smell in the air," Chris said.

Villa Bellangelo Wines

Barry is keeping several of Villa Bellangelo's most popular wines, most notably its mildly sparkling sweet valvin muscat, known as a moscato. "Our customers really enjoy that wine, and the only change will be a sparkling moscato that's a little less sweet," Barry said.

The Italian-heavy theme will be gone with some of the wines' names, but Barry said that a port-style wine will also stay.

New Premium Brand: 1866 Wine Cellars?

A new label with a new name will emerge, perhaps as soon as 2012 but likely with the first release of the 2012 vintage. Barry expects riesling to have a heavy focus, but that won't be all.

"We'll have a heavy focus on aromatic whites, but we won't limit ourselves," Missick said. "Ian has made some wonderful red wines, and we'll put an emphasis on working with growers who will help us do that, particularly if the year is right."

The Missick family is considering naming the new line of wines 1866 Wine Cellars, but that will have be finalized with the TTB. "You're the first person to hear that name," Chris told me with a laugh. "We love tying the history of the property to the name, but we'll have to do some work before that's all settled."

A Brand New Experience

The red-and-white tablecloths are gone from Villa Bellangelo. The kitschy Italian theme is largely gone, too. "We appreciate what the previous owners did," Chris said. "We respect them. We simply have a new approach, and we're excited about that."

Another quality shines through when talking to Chris: humility. He never mentioned his globe-trotting background. He never talked about his military experience (or how he decided it was his duty to serve, and left for basic training only weeks before 9/11). He doesn't boast about his family's lofty goals, but rather puts them into the context of a humble winemaking region.

"There are so many people showing the world that the Finger Lakes has world-class potential," he said. "The land is right, the people are doing the work. We want to work hard and fit in."

With one of the region's most respected winemakers on board, they're off to a strong start. Chris Missick could have been just about anywhere on this planet, and he has been. And he's chosen to join his family in the Finger Lakes, the single place that excites him most.

Red Newt Cellars 2008 Glacier Ridge Vineyards Merlot

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Living on Long Island, I drink a fair amount of merlot. It's every where you look in wine country -- literally and figuratively. I don't need to look north to the Finger Lakes for merlot. And honestly, I don't. Merlot is well down the list of what I'm looking for in the Finger Lakes.

In fact, it's probably not on the list at all.

That brings us to Red Newt Cellars 2008 Glaciers Ridge Vineyards Merlot ($45), a wine that I decided to write up for Wine Blogging Wednesday #75, hosted by Joe Roberts of 1WineDude.

The theme? "Singles Night" -- focusing on single-vineyard wines.

Just a handful of years ago, I wouldn't have had that many options for single-vineyard wines in New York. But that's all changed in recent years, with Red Newt embracing it as much as anyone.

That all being said -- $45 merlot? From the Finger Lakes? From 2008 -- a cooler year?

Yes. Believe it. I don't know Glaciers Ridge Vineyards well, but clearly they have a special site on their hands.

The complex nose show blackberry, black cherry and plum fruit with a sprinkling of cardamom, sumac, black pepper and apparent but not over-whelming smoky oak that hints at both vanilla and chocolate.

Medium-to-full bodied, the palate shows unusual concentration for this grape in this region, and balances intensity and richness with lively freshness, showing ripe, bright berry and plum fruit with nuances of spice, tarragon and violets. Medium-light tannins are velvety and smooth, framing the flavors nicely.

The oak is there, sure, but it's pretty well integrated, only peeking out alone and a bit raw just a bit on the finish.

I haven't tasted every merlot from the Finger Lakes, but it's difficult to imagine one that is much better than this one. Very well done.

Producer: Red Newt Cellars
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 13.7%  
Price: $45*

(3.5 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended to Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended)

(Ratings Guide)

New York Drinks New York -- Reader Feedback: Len Dest, Former Director Long Island Merlot Alliance

Editor's note: Our own Tracy Weiss attended New York Drinks New York yesterday at Astor Center in Manhattan, and we'll have her story ready to go either later today or tomorrow. In the meantime, we have issued an open invite to any readers who attended to send us their thoughts. This is the first in what we hope is a series of posts.

By Len Dest, Former Director of Long Island Merlot Alliance

We participated in the New York Drinks New York on Monday 12 March at the Astor Center in Manhattan. The event was a great success with significant “to the trade” activity in the afternoon and, for the 350 lucky members of the public (sold out) in the evening, a great sampling of the wines of New York. Approximately 40 wineries from each region of New York participated in the pours, with strong participation from the Finger Lakes producers.

In discussions with both owners and winemakers from the Finger Lakes region, it is clear that the overall campaign by the New York Wine and Grape Foundation is having a very major positive impact on establishing new merchant channels and overall increased distribution lines for these upstate wineries. 

While mass events such as New York Drinks New York make it difficult to develop in depth understanding of any winery's wine, they does provide for an overall assessment of the general winemaking approaches and perhaps evolving trends.

As expected, lean wines with lower alcohol levels which are typical of New York wines, are being featured based upon current national and international trends. 

Some Observations:

1. The Long Island wineries were in general very conservative with what they poured. The 2007 100% merlot Tuthills Lane Vineyard from Paumanok Vineyards was and is a powerhouse red. However, few of the big 2010 reds were being poured. The exceptions and highlight was Channing Daughters. Larry Perrine and Chris Tracy were pouring some amazing wines; 2010 Blaufrankisch Mudd West Vineyard (well balanced flavors and acidity), 2010 Due Uve (spectacular red blend) 2010 Sylvanus (amazing flavors), and three of their rosatos. A bright star in the event.
2. From the Hudson River Valley, Millbrook’s 2010 Pinot Noir made from Finger Lakes fruit is very interesting; light and lean but with considerable fruit benefitting from the warm 2010 season.
3. Rare to find 2011 Gewürztraminer from Thousand Islands Winery and 2010 Cabernet Franc from Leonard Oakes Estate from the Niagara Escarpment.
4. Scores of outstanding Finger Lake wines including; Dr. Konstantin Frank’s wonderful sparkling wine the 2006 Chateau Franc Blanc de Noirs made with 96% pinot noir, a delightful 2010 100% pinot gris from Sheldrake Point, wonderful Riesing from Fox Run , Lamoreaux Landing, and Red Newt; interesting 2008 Gewürztraminers from Standing Stone and Red Newt (Curry Creek Vineyards), and some very interesting and enjoyable Finger Lake reds including 2009 Lemberger from Fox Run, 2008 76 West blend from Lamoreaux Landing and the red blend 2008 Eclipse Red from Herron Hill. 
5. The absolute star from the Finger Lakes -- and probably the overall event -- were the wines from Johannes Reinhardt at Anthony Road. We had the distinct pleasure of Johannes pouring and describing for us each of the wines served; 2009 Spontaneous Riesling, 2009 Martini-Reinhardt Riesling, the 2010 semi-dry Riesling, 2011 Rose of Cab Franc and an outstanding -- but still young -- 2010 Cabernet Franc/Leberger that capture not only Johannes' style but a strong European influence that makes his wines outstanding.

It was a great event celebrating New York Wines. Kudos to Chris Tracy and Johannes Reinhardt for making a promotional event something special.

The Finger Lakes Come to Winegasm

By David Flaherty, NYC Correspondent

Today, in my fair neighborhood of Astoria, Queens---on a day more reminiscent of a sunny Spring afternoon in May---a wee gathering of Finger Lakes winemakers met at Winegasm, a local wine bar I've only hit up once in its 4-year tenure. After seeing their support for New York wines, however, and despite its rather unfortunate name, I'll be headed back to support them. The space is charming and rustic, with a massive skylight flooding the wooden tables and a winelist that gives a few nods to our New York brethren.

Popping bottles at the long, wooden communal table were principals from Atwater Estate and Red Newt, both of which also had their winemakers along for the ride, Vincent Aliperti (Atwater) and Brandon Seager (Assistant Winemaker at Red Newt). The attendance of the event was kept on the intimate side, which allowed for extended conversation with the winemakers and the other guests.

We moved through the various rieslings, with both wineries opening up some special bottles (have you tried the Celsius from Atwater?? Wow, this is some fine dessert wine. I now understand why my colleagues here at NYCR voted it the top Dessert Wine from the Finger Lakes). The Celsius with the Foie Gras Torchon was a bang-out pairing---Thor's hammer could have come down from the heavens, bashed me on the side of the head, and I would have passed from this mortal coil a completely happy and content soul. Give me some goose liver, a wine with rich, velvety sweetness that's cut with laser-sharp acidity, and I will follow you into battle without skipping a heart beat.

The stand-out wines for me today were the single vineyard 2009 Riesling from Red Newt (Lahoma Vineyards) which had angular, intense acidity evocative of a Mosel Riesling, the torqued-up tautness of the 2010 Atwater Dry Riesling and, of course, the Celsius. A nice surprise for me were the two reds: Atwater Big Blend (Cab, Lember, Syrah and Merlot) and the Red Newt Cabernet Franc. Tasty fruit, intriguing spice and, people, at a price point below $20/bottle, you should be bashing down your local wineshop's door to get at them.

The highlight of the 3-hour rap session was the conversation. We touched on the frustration of getting consumers to understand residual sugar in Riesling ("It's a sweet wine, yes, Mrs Davenport, but wait till the acid washes through---you'll be smacking your lips, I guarantee it". "No, I don't like sweet wines." "Aaargghhh!") We moved through some of the differences between the North Fork and the Finger Lakes (a huge one being the entry price point for the wines), and the momentum that the Finger Lakes has been experiencing from journalists of late. Hearing Ted Marks (Atwater's owner), Brandon and Vinnie's stories of how they ended up in the Finger Lakes was a treat and, for a moment, I felt like I had stepped into Evan Dawson's book, Summer in a Glass.

And lastly, after meeting some Twitter companions for the first time in person today after months of online chatter, the undeniable power of social media in today's wine world was on full display. Oh, and having Atwater's owner, Ted Marks---grandfather to 15 grandchildren---walk me through the ins and outs of QR code apps was a little surreal. Granddad be rocking the apps, man!

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars 50th Anniversary Video Trailer

The Most Important Store in the State: Buzz Growing for Empire State Cellars

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor

It is unusual for a single wine store to become such a focus for an entire state. More unusual still when the store is not located in New York City. Since returning home from the Wines of the Year weekend on Long Island, no fewer than three wine industry professionals from the Finger Lakes have asked me, "Did you go to Empire State Cellars?" Or, "What was it like?" Or, "Was it as cool a place as I'm hoping it is?" They are intrigued by the idea of the only wine store in the state that offers exclusively New York products.

This is more than the story of a wine store in Riverhead, Long Island. Lenn has covered the opening of Empire State Cellars already, and the store is the supplier for the new and expanded Empire State Cellars Wine Club. Rather, this is a look at an experiment. And, to be frank, it's an experiment that the New York wine industry desperately needs to succeed.

That's because there is doubt about whether the locavore movement ought to include wine. Empire State Cellars is not at the heart of the locavore movement, but it will serve as a crucial kind of test: Will consumers gravitate toward New York wines, and will they keep coming back? Lenn has written extensively about the local movement in restaurants. Wine Spectator's James Molesworth wrote about the disconnect between local food and local wine last summer, concluding, "It's time for sommeliers and retailers to show some support for the efforts of these growers."

Success at Empire State Cellars has the potential to reach far beyond its store walls. Restaurants will notice. Other stores might be moved to increase their focus on New York wine. Success begets success.

It's early, but there are good signs. Jim Silver, who has brought the store from vision to brick-and-mortar reality, has invited winemakers from across the state to pour their wines and engage customers at weeknight and weekend events. Some events are inevitably sparsely attended, but that's to be expected for a new venture.

However, some events are exceeding expectations by any measure. Recently, Arrowhead Spring Vineyards from Niagara held what owner Duncan Ross calls "one of our best events ever, anywhere" at ESC. Consider that: A small winery from the far corner of New York state goes to the opposite end of the state, eight-plus hours by car, and blows the doors off. Duncan and his wife Robin were thrilled with the turnout -- and the quality of the interaction.

"The customers were fantastic," Duncan tells me. "We had a record crowd for our tasting, which made us feel so welcome. And it certainly made the long drive worthwhile. We had lots of great questions and interaction during the tasting."

The event offered Duncan and Robin a chance to see the store up close after hearing the hype. They were not disappointed.

"Just to be surrounded by so much great New York product was inspiring," Duncan says. "The layout of the store was superb, with educational materials and a wonderful tasting bar. The staff is obviously passionate about New York wines. It was a lot of fun talking with them."

That last point is key. Silver has worked hard to ensure a knowledgeable staff well versed in wines from all New York wine regions. On my visit, I was equally impressed. One employee smiled and told me, "One customer walked around for ten minutes before finally asking, 'Where are the Chilean wines?' But they're open to our suggestions, and we've already seen repeat business."

Peter Bell, winemaker at Fox Run Vineyards in the Finger Lakes, also made the trek to Riverhead on a recent weekend. "I loved the place," he says. "There is a great vibe there. They're obviously dedicated to the love of wine without being stodgy." More winemakers are preparing to visit this month: Red Newt Cellars will be pouring tomorrow, Atwater Estate Vineyards on Saturday, Dr. Frank on the March 17, and Peconic Bay on the 22. (Silver is the General Manager at Peconic Bay.)

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the store is remarkable. It's among the nicest wine stores I've ever visited. Even more exciting is the fact that ESC offers hard-to-find wines; you can buy Hargrave Vineyard wines from the 1980s or you can pick up the sold-out Bloomer Creek Rieslings from the 2009 vintage. The options are almost overwhelming. This store is not about boosting New York; it's about promoting quality wines, period.

But Silver has to be a pragmatist. He won't offer Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, but he offers Red Cat, and it has already become a top seller. Perhaps Red Cat will be a bridge to finer New York wines, but at the very least, it will be a bill payer.

Ultimately, Empire State Cellars will only succeed if the local clientele embraces the concept while the rest of the state continues to support the effort. There are no sure things in business. The industry is wise to support this store. After all, many people have wondered if such a store were possible. In Riverhead, we're finding out.

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars 2009 Rkatsiteli

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

I was first introduced to the Rkatsiteli grape when I tried the 2006 vintage bottling from Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars. I was quickly hooked by the aromatic white that can be described as riesling-meets-gewruztraminer-meets-sauvignon blanc in its aromas and flavors with a beam of beautiful natural acidity.

Since then, Dr. Frank's Rkatsiteli has been a bit up and down for me -- always drinkable, but sometimes without the verve and length of that first taste.

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars 2009 Rkatsiteli ($15) is lemony on the nose with notes of citrus blossom, sweet herb, lemon verbena and golden raspberry.

Soft and juicy, the just off-dry (.45% RS) palate is driven by lemon-lime flavors with a sweet grassy note and hints of sweet pea. The finish is long with juicy, citrusy acidity.

Though perhaps a bit one-dimensional, the balance is good.

Producer: Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 12%
Residual Sugar: 4.5%
TA: 9.3 g/L
pH: 3.21
Price: $15*

 

(3 out of 5, Very good/Recommended)

(*Ratings Guide)

Not Your Average Riesling: The Story Behind the 2011 NYCR Finger Lakes Riesling of the Year

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor

To understand why the Hermann J. Wiemer 2010 Dry Riesling Reserve is such a special wine, it's important to understand that not all rieslings are created equally. Nor are all wines created easily. Winemaking at Wiemer is more difficult, more patient, more risk, more reward. There is perhaps no better wine to exemplify this than the NYCR Finger Lakes Riesling of the Year.

"For me, the 2010 Reserve is the finest riesling I've made," says winemaker Fred Merwarth. That's an extraordinary statement for a winemaker who prefers euphemism to hyperbole, and who has built a prolific portfolio in 10 short years. 

2010 was a long, warm growing season. It offered Finger Lakes wine producers options on when to pick. But stop there: picking at Wiemer doesn't occur on one occasion, one weekend, one pass. Most wineries evaluate grapes and choose what they consider the ideal moment to pick. They're looking for balanced grapes, good flavors, nice acidity, developed sugars. At Wiemer, each of the three vineyards is picked more than once during harvest.

The HJW Vineyard behind the winery was picked eight times in 2010.

"If you waited just on ripeness, you could end up with some problems in a year like 2010," Merwarth tells me. "You could potentially get a riesling that's soupy or higher in alcohol."

To his point, many Finger Lakes winemakers have told me that they took the rare step of adding acid to their white wines in 2010. "I feel strongly about not adjusting acidity, because you don't have to," Merwarth says. "It's already there."

It is, if you've picked in multiple passes. The first pass at Wiemer happened on September 26, 2010; the last pass came on October 31. On each picking, Merwarth says he's looking for different things. Early on, he's looking for vibrant acidity that can provide the frame for a long-lived riesling. As the grapes continue to ripen and flavors develop, he begins to look for complexity and richness. 

This approach paid off handsomely in 2010 when acids dropped more than usual in riesling vineyards that were unpicked into mid-October. While other wineries were left to decide whether to add acid out of the bag in the winery, Merwarth had several tanks that he could use from the early pickings, highlighting the crackling natural acidity that makes Finger Lakes riesling so noteworthy. 

It was a vital tool, particularly because Merwarth took the Reserve bottling in an entirely new direction. He found himself drawn to the fruit from the Josef Vineyard in particular, which has never been a major component of the Reserve. In 2010, the Josef riesling was soft, round, extremely full and complex, but a bit lacking in natural acidity. Merwarth knew he could use the Josef riesling because those soft edges would be chiseled out by riesling from the earlier pickings up the road at HJW. 

When the winemaker describes it, it sounds like an artist looking for the right colors on an oil canvas.

"We had this gorgeous fruit from Josef, and we thought we could make it half the blend for the Reserve," he says. "But we knew it needed more. We had to decide how much from HJW, and how much from the Magdalena Vineyard. And from which pickings."

Ultimately, Merwarth settled on a blend that included 35% of the stony-toned riesling from HJW. But it would take nearly a full year to come together.

In 2003, with Merwarth emerging into the winemaking role, Hermann J. Wiemer began using long fermentations (often known as cold fermentations). Many wineries crank up the heat on fermenting juice and control the temperature, coaxing a fast and easy fermentation. The juice can become wine in a matter of days, and be bottled not long thereafter. Merwarth wanted to know what would happen if the winery chose not to control the temperature and allow the juice to ferment "on its own," as he likes to say.

The result is a process that can be finished by Christmas or still evolving into late-spring. But the 2010 rieslings tested Merwarth's nerves with the slowest fermentations yet.

"August First," he says with a laugh. "Unbelievable. They didn't finish until August First. I thought they would never get there."

But he knew very quickly that the wine would be special. 

"It's the texture," Fred says, affirming the view of the NYCR panel that found the wine to be a standout in a blind tasting. "I always start with a goal of making clean wine. The second goal is complexity and balance. The third goal is more challenging, and we don't always know why it happens. It's texture. It's a kind of weight without being heavy."

That's a spot-on description for the Riesling of the Year, and it's a testament to Fred's decision to hang the rich Josef fruit on a prickly HJW frame. The final wine is seamless, long, and almost certain to age beautifully.

"2010 was a very long growing season, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was easy," Merwarth points out. He's right. The hard work and hard choices are reflected in a memorable riesling.

The 2011 New York Cork Report Wines of the Year

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

I think I can speak for my fellow editors and contributors when I say that our 2011 Wines of the Year tasting was a fun, challenging and inspiring day of 16 wine tasting flights.

I always come away with myriad story ideas swirling in my head after this tasting. This year is no different. Look for pieces from the team over the next few weeks. 

But today, we announce the winners -- including our first-ever New York Wine of the Year, Peconic Bay Winery 2007 Lowerre Family Estate.

Our 2011 Regional Wines of the Year are:

White Wines

Hudson Valley White Wine: Oak Summit Vineyard 2010 Chardonnay
Finger Lakes White Wine: Hermann J. Wiemer 2010 Riesling Dry Reserve
Long Island White Wine: Paumanok Vineyards 2010 Sauvignon Blanc
Niagara White: Eveningside Vineyards 2010 Reserve Chardonnay

Sparkling Wines

Finger Lakes Sparkling: Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Noir
Long Island Sparkling: Lenz Winery 2005 Cuvee

Red Wines

Hudson Valley Red: Tousey Winery 2010 Cabernet Franc
Niagara Red: Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir
Finger Lakes Red: Billsboro Winery 2010 Syrah
Long Island Merlot: Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Merlot
Long Island Other Red: Peconic Bay Winery 2007 Lowerre Family Estate

Dessert Wines

Finger Lakes Dessert Wine: Atwater Estate Vineyards 2010 Celsius
Long Island Dessert Wine: Wolffer Estate 2009 Laica

After we tasted each of these flights, the style winners were re-poured and tasted together to choose state-wide winners -- but only if the voting wine editors were unanimous. That happened twice this year:

New York Sparkling Wine of the Year: Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Noir
New York Red Wine of the Year: Peconic Bay Winery 2007 Lowerre Family Estate

Then, after a lengthy discussion, we decided unanimously that the Peconic Bay Winery 2007 Lowerre Family Estate was deserving of being named the 2011 New York Cork Report Wine of the Year. We'll have a post later this week about the discussion and why we chose this year and this wine.

Congratulations to all of the winners -- and keep an eye on the site for most post-tasting coverage.

 

A Magical Finger Lakes Red, and Why it's Gone Too Soon

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor

It had been two years since I last tasted the Damiani Wine Cellars 2007 Cabernet Franc, and I was down to my last bottle. On release, it was an impressive wine with depth, if a tad besmirched by oak. I liked it enough to buy three bottles.

Earlier this month my wife and I went to dinner and decided to open this wine one more time.

Sometimes we talk about transformation that can occur in a complex wine, but no one really knows what to expect. If I harbored high hopes for the Damiani Cab Franc, it turns out those hopes were decidedly too low.

This wine was an absolute beauty, complex, layered, structured. It had gone from a pony to a wild stallion, from a Dodge Neon to an A8.

"That's too bad," I said, not disappointed in the wine by any stretch, but saddened at the thought that most of it was already sold and drunk. 

This wine was released in 2009 when the components, while impressive, were still stitching themselves together. Imagine stopping by the automaker's shop; the parts on the factory line appear built for power and elegance, but you can't quite tell how it will come off as a finished product.

There's no reason to doubt anymore. Damiani's 2007 Cabernet Franc is simultaneously strong and graceful. It's not a powerhouse on the scale of a warm climate wine, and it's not meant to be. But it's simply packed, a layered wine that peels off a new aroma and flavor every few seconds. 

So why was it released so young? In that regard, there is nothing unique about this wine. Out of necessity, Finger Lakes wineries often release wines younger than they'd prefer to, whether it's a riesling, a sparkling wine, or reds from warmer vintages (and 2007 was one of the special red wine vintages the region has ever seen). Margins are slim around here, and when a vintage sells out, often wineries need to put the next vintage on the shelf simply to keep cash flowing.

I asked Damiani co-owner Glenn Allen if that was the case with the 2007 Cabernet Franc.

"Yes," he replied. "Often it is the case that a wine released early is just a few months away from being sufficiently open to enjoy it as a young wine." 

But Allen feels that the recent warmer vintages (2007 and 2010) have produced wines capable of opening up shortly after bottling. "There are many who like or prefer their wines young, full of bright fruit and vibrant tannins, so it's always debatable when is the best time to release a wine," he explained. "Especially with the 2007 vintage, releasing them early was not so much of a regret."

Production was relatively low for many Finger Lakes wineries in 2007, and that's true for Damiani as well. The result is a wine that disappeared rather quickly. Fortunately, Damiani is beginning to build a library, including seven cases of the 2007 Cab Franc.

"We're trying to library more of our age-worthy wines from each vintage," Allen said, adding that this practice is "both for our personal cellars and for re-releasing to our wine club members. We also now pour some samples of library wines at our tasting room, using a wine preservation system that keeps the wine intact." Most recently, Damiani's tasting room featured its 2004 red wines.

Allen guessed that the '07 Cab Franc would peak at five years old, cruising right along for another five. That means that it is only now approaching its prime. What a shame that most of this wine was gone before customers could see it rise to its current height.

And where does it go next? As we've written about previously, no one can say with certainty, but that's part of the fun. Damiani will have to decide carefully when to release its remaining bottles.

How to change the trend that sees so many wines released so young? Allen said it starts with educating customers about wine's potential. "I always let people know that a young wine will become even better if they lay it down for awhile," he said. "If they buy a few different wines, say including some whites, I suggest to them that they drink the young wine last."

But so often, wines are released according to financial needs of the winery. No one should knock a winery for this practice if it's truly a matter of economic necessity. I've spoken to countless winemakers and winery owners who wish they could wait a while with a special riesling or a structured red. But bills have to be paid, and for those of us who are only consuming the wines and not financing its creation, it's easy to criticize. Better to remind winery owners, gently, that building a library - when feasible - is a wonderful idea. Exhibit A is Damiani's 2007 Cabernet Franc, if you can find it.

Damiani Wine Cellars 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

I first tasted this wine as a part of Riesling Hour and it was one of the more popular wines amongst the Long Island wine industry folks who joined me for the tasting. This review is based on a subsequent tasting in my home.

Light hints of apricot and lime bring nuance to a nose driven by sweet pear and green apple.

Juicy, ripe and off-dry, the palate shows more sweet pear character along with flavors of peach and white grape -- with snappy acidity that brings focus and verve. There is an interesting floral, green tea note on the medium-length finish.

Producer: Damiani Wine Cellars
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 11.9%  
RS: 2.0%
Production: 420 cases
Price: $16*

(3.5 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended to Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended)

(Ratings Guide)

Sheldrake Point at Seneca: What’s New for a Classic Finger Lakes Winery

By Rochelle Bilow, Finger Lakes Food Correspondent
Photos courtesy of Sheldrake Point winery

Mention Sheldrake Point Winery on Seneca Lake and, chances are, you’ll be corrected. “It’s on Cayuga Lake,” I heard a half-dozen times over the course of the last month from friends and Finger Lakes wine fans. They aren’t wrong, but neither am I. On September 26, 2011, Sheldrake Point opened a second tasting room on Route 414 along the southeast side of Seneca.

The tasting room has opened quietly, not for lack of marketing and outreach on their part, but because they were just getting started as the tourism season wound down. The lack of tasting room traffic in the winter months has given owner Bob Madill and tasting room manager Christine McAfee a few months to get their bottles in a row. In a phone conversation and visit to the tasting room, I spoke to them about Sheldrake’s two-lake presence.

Like all business decisions, the addition of a new location was made with profit in mind. Unlike many wineries in the area, Sheldrake’s original location on Cayuga grows all of their grapes in one vineyard. “Every wine we have is a single-vineyard wine, for all intents and purposes,” Madill said. “But we were selling just about half of our grapes.”

Sheldrake never entered into a long-term partnership with other wineries, choosing instead to sell grapes as needed, to places as far away as Pennsylvania. “If we made all of those grapes into wine, we’d never move it.” Ready for a challenge, Madill and his team figured that if they increased their presence in the area, they could very well sell enough wine to make up the difference.

The team began looking into remote locations out of the area but the cost and logistics of managing a tasting room or storefront far away didn’t seem to Madill to be a worthwhile gamble. Then they stumbled across Busca Books on Seneca Lake, a convenient location with lots of room to spare. Owner Michael Cooper agreed to sell 2,500 square feet, the majority of the space, to Sheldrake, moving his business to the back third of the store.

A deck with clear glass paneling was added to the front and trees were cleared from the property to open up the view of the lake. The result is a modern, clean space with clean lines and lots of natural light. To keep the room from looking minimalistic, Sheldrake is decorating the walls with work from local artists.

The bars where servers pour might look different on any given day – they’re on wheels and can be rearranged or removed to accommodate for parties and events. “We searched forever for those bars,” Madill said. “We visited other tasting rooms, measured to find the perfect height and looked for the best material.”

That attention to detail is apparent in more than the decor. McAfee told me that when Sheldrake opened, she wrote letters introducing herself to the surrounding neighbors. “They’ve been really supportive so far,” she said, adding that many of them don’t actually drink alcohol. This “hey, neighbor” mentality is reminiscent, says Madill, from over a decade ago when Sheldrake moved into their space on Cayuga.

“In both locations, we’re basically in the middle of a residential area. We try to keep that in mind,” Madill said, recalling with a laugh (and a bit of a groan) the large white fence that was constructed then taken down in the parking lot at Seneca, after realizing it obstructed a resident’s view.

At the heart of the decision to expand Sheldrake’s presence in the Finger Lakes was a desire to rework and revitalize the winery’s portfolio. “We’re going to focus more on distinguishing where in the Cayuga vineyard our grapes come from,” said Madill, recognizing that the climate and character in vineyards can be drastically different even just a few yards away. They currently cultivate 43 acres with the potential for planting more vines, providing the doubling of production goes well in the next few years.

Riesling and cabernet franc make up the largest percentage of the vineyard, with the 2011 vintage shaping up to include a Dry Riesling, Semi-Dry Riesling and an Ice Riesling. Madill also has hopes for a Reserve Riesling, as it is “developing nicely” but isn’t yet certain it will be up to Sheldrake’s standards.

Consumers will also see the disappearance of Sheldrake Point Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker Dave Breeden and vineyard manager Dave Weimann will continue to grow the varieties, but have decided to blend them with cabernet franc in a Meritage, a Bordeaux-style blend.

Oak-Aged Riesling? In the Finger Lakes, it's Starting to Happen. Here's Why

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor

Two producers do not make a trend, but in any region there are trend-setters and trailblazers. In the Finger Lakes, Ravines Wine Cellars has been producing some of the strongest rieslings for the past decade. And newcomer Forge Cellars comes with the high expectations attached to the wines of Louis Barruol, a renowned winemaker from Gigondas in France.

Both Ravines and Forge are now experimenting with old oak barrels when it comes to making riesling.

Ravines winemaker Morten Hallgren took the first step, selecting a portion of his 2010 Argetsinger Vineyard Riesling to be aged in old, neutral barrels. "It's primarily for texture," Hallgren recently explained. "The acidity is there. The flavors are there. The oak has nothing to do with flavors."

That's an important distinction, especially for Forge Cellars, which employs 100% old oak for its line of rieslings. 

"Louis and I had a conversation about this some three or four years ago while sitting in Gigondas," wrote Forge co-owner Rick Rainey in a recent blog post. "We were talking about cool climate wines, wines that are often coveted for their fresh, searing, laser-like acidity. We both were commenting how wonderful acid is and then he started to tell me about experiments he had done with high-acid whites in barrel and how wonderful they turned out. I thought it all made sense because if you look at all the cool climate regions of the world, using barrels of different sizes was the norm before the stainless steel manufacturers showed up."

Like his co-owner Justin Boyette, Rainey loves discussing the history of wine. That deference to precedent comes through when he writes about Forge's use of neutral barrels, as Rainey jokes that Forge should be considered anything but a "trend-setter." 

"Riesling being done in barrel has been around a heck of a lot longer than anyone at Forge Cellars," Rainey explains. "If anything we are rolling back the clock a bit."

Try as he might to downplay the freshness of this approach, the fact remains that in the Finger Lakes, riesling resides in stainless steel. Winemakers seek freshness in riesling without wanting to compromise the bracing edges, nor do they seek aromatics and flavors that oak can impart. 

"The idea of hammering helpless little white wines with new oak is, well, lets just say, not for us," Rainey says. "But the idea of letting a high-acid, fresh, laser-like riesling relax a bit in a nice aged barrel could make a whole bunch of sense."

Wine writer Oz Clarke has written about riesling aged in oak, noting that it remains rather common in Germany, where producers in the Pfalz even occasionally employ new oak. But most, Clarke explains, opt for old barrels. "The flavors are quite obviously different (in rieslings aged in wood)," Clarke wrote in his book Grapes and Wines: The Definitive Guide to the World's Great Grapes and the Wines They Make "The gentle oxygenation that occurs in old wooden barrels softens the edges of the wine and adds complexity. The choice is a stylistic one, with the steely style generally being seen as more modern."

Hallgren noted that for now, Finger Lakes winemakers would have to use old barrique. But he's trying to find a way to bring old casks to the states from Europe. "It's quite an undertaking," Hallgren said with a smile. "But we're not giving up."

What does that mean for consumers? For those who seek the electric, razor's edge style of Finger Lakes riesling, Forge Cellars will probably come off as too rich, or too mellow, to borrow a word from Rainey. Ravines' Argetsinger Riesling is likely to be more subtle and still quite cutting, considering its aging in both steel and wood. But for those who find many Finger Lakes rieslings to be too acidic, perhaps over-the-edge, this kind of treatment offers the potential to attract new palates. If the wood comes through too strongly, the wines will flop. If the wood imparts a richer texture while allowing the crisp acidity to remain fresh, it could be a significant regional step. And with more choices, consumers are likely to benefit. 

The Finger Lakes 2011 Red Wines of the Year Finalists: Explaining the Diverse Selections

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor
Photos from our WoTY 2009 Tasting by Morgan Dawson

I'm happy to see that the NYCR selections for Finger Lakes red wines of the year have generated a fair amount of feedback and debate. There have been many questions: Why no cabernet franc? How come every wine is made from a different grape? 

Keep in mind that for a wine to be eligible, it has to have been released in 2011. Many of the red wines released in 2011 came from the uneven 2009 vintage. The glorious 2009 September produced strong conditions for Finger Lakes pinot noir, but otherwise, it was a down vintage for reds. Some of the wines released in 2011 were from 2008, a solid-if-not-spectacular vintage. Very few of the 2010s have been released yet. If the vintage conditions and barrel tastings are any indication, they will be very good.

Cabernet franc fans, no worries: I expect that variety will be back in force in future years. But this lineup makes a statement, which is this:

Continued exploration and experimentation with red grape varieties in the Finger Lakes should be welcomed and celebrated.

Unlike riesling, the clear viticultural star of the region, there is no clear dominant red variety. That does not mean that red varieties can't thrive. In fact, it means that with some hard work and inquiry, a range of red varieties can make impressive wines. Each wine on the list comes with further confirmation of this idea.

Red Tail Ridge Winery 2009 Teroldego

I confess that, having tasted the bottled 2009 and the still-in-barrel 2010, I am even more excited about the newer vintage. But that should not prevent anyone from checking out this wine.

Winemaker Nancy Irelan has a long background in research, and without divulging the secrets she's trying to keep under wraps in her lab, it's fair to say that she has even more ideas for cool-climate red grapes. Teroldgeo was one of her first experiments. It is paying off.

The first vintage of teroldego came in 2008, and Irelan took the grapes from those young vines and turned them into an unusual red sparkler. That rapidly gained a following, but I'm glad that Irelan has not diverted from her plan of making a still teroldego. The grape provides nice acidity but also a backbone of chewy tannins. The flavors are unusual, and it's already showing signs of complexity.

Teroldego is grown primarily in northeastern Italy. Want to get really geeky? It's also grown in parts of California, where it's occasionally compared to zinfandel. That's probably because there is an inherent spice to the grape, which is related to the dureza grape, the father of syrah.

See, don't you want to see what else Irelan will try?

Rooster Hill Vineyards 2008 Reserve Lemberger

This grape variety continues its slow but steady accumulation of fans in the Finger Lakes. You say lemberger, I say blaufrankisch, but whatever: Rooster Hill has turned out a very nice version. 

Some winemakers are choosing to blend lemberger with cabernet franc, aiming for a complex blend of flavors and aromatics. I understand that, but I also enjoy seeing what blaufrankisch can do as a varietal. 

In normal-to-ripe vintages, lemberger can produce structured reds with spicy and dark flavors. (Hosmer winemaker Aaron Roisen sees lemberger's future as more akin to the softer pinot noirs of the world, but he's the regional exception.) 

The first time I tasted this wine with Rooster HIll owner Amy Hoffman, she was obviously excited about it. And yet she patiently waited to bring it to market, confident that the wine's makeup will allow a long life. I think she made the right call. Is there too much oak? For me, no. But watch for the oak influence in other lembergers or blaufrankisches, which can be sensitive to wood.

McGregor Vineyard 2007 Black Russian Red 30-Month Barrel Reserve

Saperavi and Sereksiya Charni. Those two grapes alone make this wine interesting. 

Here's a wine with a celebrated history, an intensely devoted following, and yet owner John McGregor decided to do something he'd never done before: He held half the vintage back, keeping it in barrel for a full year longer than most vintages. 

What's the result? Thanks to a powerhouse vintage, the wine stands up very well. I go back and forth on the need to decant wines - and for how long - but certainly I would not hesitate to give this wine some air before drinking it.

It's unique, and it has the structure to age with grace. The McGregor family proves it with annual verticals and library tastings. This is one of the most expensive wines in the Finger Lakes, and yet it has no trouble selling. 

Billsboro Winery 2010 Syrah

Syrah is occasionally misunderstood as a warm-climate variety. Its history shows a grape highly adaptable to its climate; it can produce some big, powerful wines in California, and its sweet spot in Cote-Rotie is much cooler. Neither of those regions is as cool as the Finger Lakes, but a group of winemakers is giving this variety an extended shot to succeed.

No one knew the success would come so soon. Damiani is understandably proud of their version, as are a handful of others, including Lucas and Red Newt Cellars. But the Billsboro version is the most intriguing yet.

We should have seen it coming. Syrah needs time to ripen, and 2009 simply didn't provide the growing season that a winemaker wants. And yet Vinny Aliperti's '09 Syrah was relatively prodigious. He couldn't explain it, other than to credit the Seneca Lake growers: Sawmill Creek Vineyards, where Billsboro sources its fruit.

So if he could produce that kind of syrah in 2009, it's not a surprise that 2010 finds a truly broad-shouldered, layered version that could attract the admiration of syrah lovers. Our own Mark Grimaldi was floored by this wine. And if you know Mark, you know that he has very tough standards. 

Ravines Wine Cellars 2009 Pinot Noir

By now, we know that the Finger Lakes is capable of outstanding pinot noir. We also know that this is not easily achieved, and is being produced by only a small group of wineries.

Winemaker Morten Hallgren drinks a lot of Burgundy and has a deep appreciation for the cool-climate style for this grape. That does not mean he's trying to recreate France in the Finger Lakes. That does mean, however, that he's aiming for elegance. 

The 2005 Ravines Pinot Noir is one of the great examples of what the region is capable of. Hallgren expects the 2009 to stand alongside it. I think that's possible.

50 Years of Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars

Courtesy of Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars

Billsboro Winery 2010 Dry Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

My Finger Lakes-focused colleague Evan Dawson and I sometimes lament what sometimes happens to Finger Lakes riesling when it's fermented dry. Depending on the fruit and the winemaker, the wines can become shrill, hollow and overly austere. Casually, we refer to them as "lemon water riesling."

That's not a compliment.

It seems though that dry rieslings from longer and/or warmer growing seasons -- like the long 2010 one -- tend to avoid this problem more often.  

Billsboro Winery 2010 Dry Riesling ($16) is an fine example of that. Made from fruit grown at Sawmill Creek Vineyards, it has expressive, pretty aromas of river rock, lime and citrus blossom.

Driven by minerally, rocky flavors, the lithe body also delivers lime, kumquat and grapefruit citrus character with a bit of green apple. Staying just this side of austere, its dry (.3% rs) with a focusing beam of acidity and a medium-long, mouth-watering finish that shows hints of flint.

Producer: Billsboro Winery
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 11.5%  
RS: .3%
Production: 175 cases
Price: $16*

(3.5 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended to Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended)

(Ratings Guide)

 

 

Heart & Hands Wine Company 2009 Pinot Noir

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Over a relatively short period of time, Heart & Hands Wine Company has almost become synonymous with New York pinot noir. There are other wineries making good versions of course, but on a consistent basis, there isn't a producer I can recommend more for pinot.

Co-owner and winemaker Tom Higgins carefully sources fruit from dependable growers and his passion for the grape manifests itself in meticulous cellar work.

Heart & Hands Wine Company 2009 Pinot Noir ($20) -- which is closed under Vino-Seal by the way -- offers aromas of red cherries and cranberries sprinkled with brown spice, star anise and a bit of black pepper.

Light bodied -- there isn't any syrah in this pinot -- the palate is juicy with red fruit flavors and layers of toasty oak, spice and tea leaf. Fresh acidity and well-incorporate, soft tannins bring structure and lengthen the finish.

Producer: Heart & Hands Wine Company
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 12.6%  
Price: $20

(3.5 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended to Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended)

(Ratings Guide)

Winery Websites: Not So Good, it Seems

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor

When you visit a winery's website, you're probably there for one simple reason. Either you want tasting room hours or the wine list or the winemaker's story. But whatever it is, you want it quickly and easily.

And too often, it's not easy enough to find what you're seeking. On top of that, the websites look clunky and amateurish. This is a generalization, of course. Some websites are excellent. Too many are not.

But don't take it from me. Here's an email I received this week from a reader of my book, Summer in a Glass. This reader lives several states away.

I've re-printed the email in full, and I welcome your thoughts on what makes for a high-quality and low-quality website.

*****

Hi Mr Dawson,

First of all, thank you for writing this book. Though we currently live in Wisconsin, my wife and I are physicians originally from upstate NY. We've recently decided to move back to CNY (Canandaigua) to start our own adventure, and this book has made us proud and excited to move back!  

Like many, my wife and I made the rounds on various wineries websites after reading your book, and I wanted to comment on something I bet you've noticed, and could help with! 

Many of the websites are, well, a bit difficult to navigate. Like the vintners you describe, the websites are not flamboyant or ostentatious. That's fine as a character trait, but perhaps not so good for marketing. Specifically, we noticed that many photos are casual (amateur?), and don't do justice to the scenery or the establishment. I left some websites with an overall impression that I can't get engaged with the wine or the winery.  

That's frustrating, and I'm sure a ton of folks are visiting those sites after or as they read your book, and I bet many others left the sites feeling a bit disappointed. For instance, if I decided to plan a trip to the Finger Lakes, I'd hit these websites hard to get organized. So in that scenario, I think the website design could become sort of crucial for the wineries, right? 

We thought Weimer's website was really good. The designer looks like he's a computer science grad from Cornell (my alma mater). I was thinking that between your wife working as a professional photographer and perhaps with your mutual contacts in the web design/photography business, you could help link some of the wineries with eager folks to help improve the websites. I don't know,  I'm sure these wineries will do very well thanks to your book, but I felt compelled to contact you anyway!  

You've almost single-handedly changed our opinion of CNY with this book....
THANK YOU!

Sincerely,

(Name withheld - I've asked the author for permission to publish their name.)

 

The New York Cork Report 2011 Wines of the Year Finalists

The winners from our 2010 Wines of the Year tasting (Photo by Morgan Dawson Photography) 

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

This is the third year of our New York Cork Report "Wines of the Year" program and over the past several weeks, my colleagues Bryan Calandrelli and Evan Dawson, and I have been tasting, re-tasting and re-re-tasting dozens of wines to , narrow and hone our lists of finalists 2011 Wines of the Year.

We don't pretend that we've tasted every single wine released during the 2011 calendar year, but we feel that we've tasted a more-than-representative sampling from each region. Each of these finalists was hand-picked by the regional editor for each region -- Evan Dawson (Finger Lakes), Bryan Calandrelli (Niagara) and myself (Long Island and Hudson River Region) -- and will be blind tasted by most of the  NYCR team in mid-February to determine the winners. While the team will attend and take part in the tasting, only wine editors will vote.

You will notice some variations in terms of categories and wines per category. Those decisions are left up to the regional editors.

Finger Lakes Region

Red Wines
Billsboro Winery 2010 Syrah
McGregor Vineyard 2007 30-Month Barrel Black Russian Red
Ravines Wine Cellars 2009 Pinot Noir
Red Tail Ridge Winery 2009 Teroldego
Rooster Hill Vineyards 2008 Lemberger Reserve

Riesling Wines
Anthony Road Wine Company 2009 Art Series Riesling
Bloomer Creek Vineyard 2010 uten Vineyard First Harves Dry Riesling
Hermann J. Wiemer 2010 Dry Riesling Reserve
Keuka Lake Vineyards 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling
Tierce 2009 Riesling
Standing Stone Vineyards 2010 Riesling

Sparkling Wines
Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Noir
Hermann J. Wiemer 2006 Blanc de Noir
 

Dessert Wines
Atwater Estate Vineyards 2010 Celsius
Ravines Wine Cellars 2007 Appasionata
Standing Stone 2010 Riesling Ice

Hudson River Valley Region

Red Wines
Hudson-Chatham Winery 2010 Casscles Vineyard Reserve Baco Noir
Oak Summit Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir
Tousey Winery 2010 Cabernet Franc

White Wines
Hudson-Chatham Winery 2010 Estate Seyval Blanc
Millbrook Vineyards 2010 Tocai Friulano
Oak Summit 2010 Chardonnay

Long Island Region

Merlot Wines
Clovis Point 2007 Vintner's Reserve Merlot
Grapes of Roth 2005 Merlot
Lenz Winery 2007 Estate Merlot
Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Merlot
Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2007 Christian's Cuvee Merlot

Non-Merlot Red Wines
Jamesport Vineyards 2007 Sidor Reserve Syrah
Leo Family 2007 Red
Peconic Bay Winery 2007 Lowerre Family Estate
Roanoke Vineyards 2007 Blend 2
Roanoke Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

White Wines
Bedell Cellars 2010 Viognier
Channing Daughters Winery 2010 Mudd Vineyard West Sauvignon Blanc
Grapes of Roth 2009 Riesling
Palmer Vineyards 2010 Sauvignon Blanc
Paumanok Vineyards 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

Sparkling Wines
Bedell Cellars 2007 Blanc de Blancs
Lenz Winery 1999 Cuvee RD
Lenz Winery 2005 Cuvee
Sparkling Pointe 2001 Brut Seduction
Sparkling Pointe 2007 Brut

Dessert Wines
Jamesport Vineyards 2010 Late Harvest Riesling
Grapes of Roth 2009 Noble Roth Late Harvest Riesling
Paumanok Vineyards 2010 Late Harvest Riesling
Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Veil
Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2009 Laica

Niagara Region

Reds Wines
Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir
Arrowhead Spring 2010 Estate Syrah
Eveningside Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc
Freedom Run Winery 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir
Long Cliff Winery 2010 Pinot Noir

White Wines
Arrowhead Spring 2009 Reserve Chardonnay
Eveningside Vineyards 2010 Reserve Chardonnay
Freedom Run Winery 2010 Estate Chardonnay
Leonard Oakes 2010 Reserve Riesling
Schulze Vineyards 2010 Vidal Blanc 

 

Congratulations to all of the finalists. Keep an eye on this site for more information and results in a few weeks.

Atwater Estate Vineyards 2010 Riesling Bubble

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Sparkling riesling isn't new in the Finger Lakes. A handful of wineries have been making it for years and a couple years ago, one even won the Governor's Cup.

Last fall, Atwater Estate Vineyards became the latest winery to make sparkling riesling, adding Riesling Bubble to its portfolio. Off-dry and force-carbonated, it also features modern packaging that definitely stands out on a store shelf (my picture doesn't do it justice) and is closed  with a crown cap rather than a cork.

A fruity nose shows ripe peach, candied green apple and hints of mint syrup. Soft carbonation and crisp acidity make this fun, fruity sparkler seem almost dry. Short on the finish.

Producer: Atwater Estate Vineyards
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 11%
Harvest Brix: 19.6
Residual Sugar: 2%
TA: 8.5 g/L
pH: 2.94
Price: $16*

(2.5 out of 5, Average-to-Very good/Recommended)

(*Ratings Guide)

Grape Rising: Gruner Veltliner Makes Its Case in the Finger Lakes

Just-harvested Gruner Veltliner grapes  (Photo courtesy of Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars)

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

On paper, Gruner Veltliner -- the grape grown primarily in Austria and other Eastern European nations -- is an ideal grape to grow in the Finger Lakes.

First and perhaps more importantly, it's winter hardy -- not as hardy as riesling, but more hardy than gewurztraminer and many other varieties being grown successfully in the region. It's also an early ripener, said to ripen before gewurztraminer and riesling.

The skins are thick too, even thicker than chardonnay, so is affected less by botrytis and other fungal infections.

As Brendan Zugibe of Zugibe Vineyards put it "Climate-wise this variety is a perfect fit...actually better than most vinifera varieties."

Lots of Potential -- What About the Reality?

Clearly gruner holds promise in the Finger Lakes, but could it be like the blue chip recruit with all the potential in the world, but never realizes its full potential for one reason or another?

To find out, so I sought out those growing it and tasted a few examples.

So I asked Josh Wig, general manager at Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, which planted three-quarters of an acre in 2008 and another half acre in 2009, how it was handling Finger Lakes winters. He was optimistic, but cautiously so. "Time will tell. It has not been tested by a severe winter but appears to be fairly winter hardy," he said, adding that in general "So far it has been similar to grow as our riesling."

At Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, Fred Frank said that the have planted gruner in warmer sections of their vineyards because it's not quite as hardy as some other grapes.

Young Vines and Early Wines

By any measure, all of the gruner vines in the region are young. At Zugibe Vineyards, the just under an acre of Gruner was planted in 2007. Dr. Frank planted their gruner -- 8 acres in total -- in stages in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

The youth of the vines makes it unfair to make any proclamations about what gruner's real potential is from tasting the three wines I was able to get my hands on -- two commercial releases and on other that wasn't released to the public, but they do offer an early glimpse into what could come later.

Zugibe Vineyards 2009 Gruner Veltliner has a nose vaguely reminiscent of a dry Finger Lakes riesling -- a burst of lime-y citrus with green apple and only subtle hints of the white pepper one expects from gruner. Though similarly citrusy and apple-y on the palate, there is a richness to the mid-palate  and a savory-salty edge to the finish that is intriguing. Rating:

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineifera Wine Cellars 2010 Gruner Veltliner is floral and herby with aromas of citrus and kiwi. Mouth-filling and showing flavors similar its the aromas, the palate is crisp and refreshing, but lacks varietal character. Shows great acidity and an interesting under-ripe peach note on the finish. Rating:

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2010 Gruner Veltliner wasn't released to the public (the 2011 will be) but it showed the most varietal character and impressed me the most. The nose displayed notes of pear, pineapple, grapefruit and lime, white pepper and wet river stones. Stone-y and peppery, the well-balanced palate shows nice length and flavors that range from dried pineapple to pear to grapefruit and gingery spice. Rating:

Popularity and Growth

So what is gruner's place in the Finger Lakes wine world? It's too early to say, but producers are optimistic. "It would make sense to assume that gruner's appeal in the Finger Lakes will take a little time to fully develop," said Zugibe, adding "Not many people know anything about the variety outside of Austria. But from the start this wine was not only embraced, it has been one of the best-selling products currently on the tasting room shelves."

On the grape's future potential, Fred Frank told me, "We are very optimistic regarding the future of Gruner in the Finger Lakes. We have already won several gold medals for the Dr. Frank Gruner and received praise and encouragement from visiting Austrian winemakers."

Medals or no, it will be interesting to see the unique expression of gruner develop in the region over time. I know that some other growers have planted it as well. Stay tuned. This could be fun.