Several New York wines have received impressive accolades in recent weeks. So, just in case you missed it:
- Sparkling Pointe's 2000 Brut Seduction ($55/review coming soon) was named Best Sparkling Wine at the San Francisco Chronicle's 2009 Wine Competition. Winemaker Gilles Martin is well known for his bubbly and this is an impressive win given the CA-dominated category. Martin's 2004 Brut and two bubblies from Chateau Frank in the Finger Lakes also did well.
- Casa Larga's 2006 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine ($35/review coming soon) was recently chosen as the "World's Best Dessert Wine" at the 2008 International Wine & Spirits Competition in London. I hate any competition that names anything the "World's Best" but this is a great win for Casa Larga. I just received a bottle and will be trying it soon.
- I, and many in the Finger Lakes wine community, complain about a perceived 90-point ceiling for the region's wines. Well, that ceiling has been met, but not exceeded, by three Finger Lakes wines as tasted by James Molesworth. The three 90-point wines are Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Reserve Gewurztraminer ($25 ), Red Newt Cellars 2007 Sawmill Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer ($36) and Standing Stone Vineyards 2007 Vidal Ice Wine ($25). I've long been a promponent of Finger Lakes gewurzt, so I'm not surprised that these wines scored so high. But, it is a bit surprising that the highest-rated currently available Finger Lakes wines aren't riesling.