New York Cork Report Tasting Table: April 14, 2010
By Lenn Thompson,
Editor-in-Chief
Here are some wines that have crossed the
NYCR tasting table over the past couple of weeks but won't be reviewed as
standalone posts. For this edition, we welcome some fruit (non-grape that is) wines for the first time. There will be more coverage of that category going forward as well.
Brookview Station Winery NV Oh What Pear!, Hudson River Valley ($16): Light nose of under-ripe pear and pear cider. Medium bodied with a lightly oily texture on the mid-palate, it's a little sugary at first but finishes fairly clean. Subtle pear skin note brings a little complexity. A little hot on the finish at 13% abv. Rating: (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
Brookview Station Winery NV Pomona, Hudson River Valley ($15): Blend of pear and apple. Semi-sweet and tastes more like pear than apple. Simple and understated fruit with a light bitterness that actually brings some interest. A little hot on the finish again. Rating: (2 out of 5 | Average)
Heron Hill Winery 2005 Ingle Vineyards Chardonnay, Finger Lakes ($15): Appley on the nose with subtle vanilla, spice and sweet corn. Medium weight with ripe apple and nice spice — but a bitter, raw oak note as well. Rating: (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
Fox Run Vineyards 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, Finger Lakes ($13): Lots of toasty oak on the nose with brown spice and apple beneath. Oak is a bit raw, but nice creaminess on the mid-palate. Roasted apple, baking spice and vanilla flavors. Dry, citrusy acid on a short finish. Rating: (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
Hermann J. Wiemer 2008 Frost Cuvee, Finger Lakes ($12): Extremely light, almost-neutral nose with a subtle hint of citrus and gewurz spice/rose. Light on the palate too, with a bit more roundness on the mid-palate. Good acidity frames austere sweet lime and pineapple flavors, with a little of that gewurzt character too. Rating: (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
Johnson Estate 2007 "Feelings Creek" Riesling, New York ($12): Honey, canned peaches and canned corn on the nose with a unique supermarket cheddar note as well. Over-ripe and canned peach fruit flavors layered with honey and canned corn. Just off-dry on the mid-palate, but plenty of acidity. A little grapefruit on a short finish. Rating: (1.5 out of 5 | Not Recommended-to-Average)
Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Merlot, North Fork of Long Island ($18): Nice aromas of raspberry and plum with subtle earthiness and understated spice and cocoa powder notes. The palate closely matches the
nose with red fruit and spice accented by earthy dried leaves and just a
little chocolate character. Medium bodied with medium tannins. Nice in the not-very-crowded under-$20 category. Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended)
Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir, North Fork of Long Island ($30): Oak dominates the nose — vanilla, spice and smoke. Some chocolate-covered-cherries and cranberries beneath. Heavy dose of oak on the palate as well, but a silky mouthfeel bright cherry and cranberry flavors push through the oak. Finish is medium-long. Supple, round tannins. A little woodsy/earthy on the finish. Rating: (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Syrah, North Fork of Long Island ($23): Black cherry, flowers, caramel and oak on the nose. Much less oaky on the palate. Shows dark fruit, subtle spice and beautiful mouthfeel. Soft to the point of maybe needing a bit more structure. Medium finish. (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)
Sheldrake Point Vineyard 2007 Luckstone Red, Finger Lakes ($12): Red cherry and strawberry jam on the nose. There is some marjoram here too, with hints of vanilla/oak and something faintly metallic too. Medium-light body with juicy, crunchy red fruit flavors with layers of violets and herbs. Not-great balance because of high acid and almost no tannins. Short. Rating: (2 out of 5 | Average)
